Don't Turn Out the Lights
by BlackRose16
Summary: *Character death* A dark spell. One friends death brings the others together. For one night in hell. *yaoi*
1. Prologue

BlackRose:  O.O Damn…another one so quickly.  Now if I could just do this for Blue Eyed Sacrifice  ^.^()     *Flips through law book***  **-.- nope.  I still don't own anything but this piece of crap computer. Warning: Tea bashing   

"Has it been prepared?"   

"Yes Mistress."  

"Good.  Now, how to get them all together?" 

The woman cloaked in shadows rubbed her chin, thinking carefully.  But it only lasted for a moment as she let out a sudden spine–chilling laugh.  

"Perfect!  Now, this will be quite fun, won't it?"  

*~*  

Yuugi shook his head, wiping his cheeks.  

"G-goodbye, Tea."  

Joey squeezed his shoulders reassuringly.  

"It's okay, Yuge.  She's in a better place."     

The small boy nodded, sniffling slightly.  

Halfway across the room, Malik groaned and looked at Ryou beside him.  

"Can we go now?"

"Malik!  We can't go yet!  It's a funeral!" the white-haired boy whispered. Malik slumped down in his seat.  

"I didn't even like the stupid broad.  She was annoying as hell," he muttered, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Ryou.  He pouted and sunk as low in his seat as possible, toying with the Millennium Rod in his hand.  

*~* 

A few hours later, all of Tea's close friends remained standing over the freshly dug dirt.  Yugi sniffled, feeling no wave of comfort wash over him as Joey slipped an arm around his small shoulders.  Yami was standing a little away from him, solemnly watching his hikari, while standing next to Bakura.   He heard the little groan of boredom come from the former tomb robber.   

"She's dead, so why the hell are they just standing around like that? Not like it's going to bring her back."  

"Shush.  It's their custom.  They were all very close to her."  Bakura gave him a side-glance.  

"And you weren't?"   Yami didn't answer for a while, making Bakura think he didn't want to talk anymore until the former pharaoh said, 

"She kept on clinging to me all the time and ranting about friendship.  You tell me if I was." This reply made the former tomb robber chuckle darkly.  

"I'm surprised.  From the way you acted, one would think you had feelings for the girl."  This earned him a side-glare from Yami.  

The only sounds that could now be heard were the rain pattering on the ground and the thunder booming over the mourners' heads.  

"Yuge?" Joey whispered to his short companion, "We oughta get goin, or else we're gonna get soaked."  Yugi nodded and allowed himself to be guided away from the tombstone.  

"Well, its about time," Malik muttered darkly, "It's been long enough."  He fumbled with his black shirt, unaccustomed to such formal attire.  Ryou ignored him and crouched down, placing a single red rose over the freshly dug dirt.  He straightened and looked at a very bored Malik.  

"It's alright.  We can go now."  

"Mph.  At least there'll be food at Kaiba's," the owner of the Rod said quietly.  Ryou didn't other to reprimand him, having gotten frustrated with his rudeness at such a depressing occasion.  

*~*  

Kaiba was having the reception in his own mansion as a sympathetic gesture to his rival, which was not something he was comfortable in admitting.  There was plenty of food, and mild, quieted chatter could be heard circulating around the room, not to mention a plentiful amount of condolences offered to all of Tea's close friends.  Especially Yugi, who seemed to have taken her death the hardest.   

(A.N- No, Yugi DOES NOT have feelings for Tea like that.  He was just very close to her.)  

Suddenly, there was a rather loud boom of thunder that echoed throughout the room.  Seconds later, the lights all flickered and died.  There was a yelp, which came from Ryou, who was squeezing Malik's hand rather hard.  Malik smiled faintly and placed his other hand over Ryou's.  

"Fuck.  The backup must be on the fritz," Kaiba said as the moments of darkness stretched on.  There was a shuffling, and then the flickering light of a candle flame.    

"Don't you have flashlights like _normal _people?"  

"Shut up, mutt.  Since you have such a problem with candles, you can come with me into the basement and help me fix the backup."  

"Oh, afraid of the dark, eh, Moneybags?"  

The flickering flame showed Kaiba opening his mouth to retort, only to be interrupted by an irritated Yami saying, 

"Oh, Ra, stop fighting! I'll go with you!"  

"I would dearly love to see the almighty Pharaoh doing actual labor.  I'll go too," Bakura said.  And so the three of them left, leaving Yugi, Tristan, Joey, Ryou, Duke, and Malik alone in the dark.  

"Oh, wonderful.  The asshole leaves _us _in the dark.  Stupid, rich bastard." 

"Malik!"  

"What?  He left with the candle!"  

"Don't tell me little Malik-kun is afraid of a little darkness?  I would think you'd be trying to suck Ryou's blood in here," Tristan quipped.  

Malik tightened his hold on the Rod.  

"One more word out of you, spike-boy, and you won't live long enough to regret it!"  

"Oh, is that a challenge I hear?"  

"Oh would you both cut the crap?" a pissed off Duke snapped. 

*~* 

Meanwhile, the shadowy woman laughed to herself.  

"They're already fighting with each other! I don't think that I'll have trouble with these humans at all!"   

And so would soon begin the nightmare which would unfold around the unsuspecting group of teenagers, some friends, some rivals.  

BlackRose: ^.^()  I know, not much action.  Heh, this is just the prologue.  The good stuff'll start next chapter, I promise!  

Bakura: Just like you promised Blue Eyed Sacrifice would e out, right? 

BlackRose: -.-()  Shaddap.  I'm getting to it, okay?  

Bakura: Uh huh.  I wouldn't hold my breathe for a new chapter for it anytime soon.  

BlackRose: -.-  REVIEW!  PLEASE!  

  


	2. The Game of Death

^.^  Good to see at least one person likes this.  Thanks, WhiteLightning.  ^.^  At least you read it and liked it.  Now, so as I don't keep you waiting…on with Don't Turn Out the Lights!   

"Where the hell is the bloody basement?" asked a very irritated Bakura as he, Yami, and Kaiba walked slowly down the staircase.  Kaiba chose not to answer, as he was concentrating on not letting the small, flickering light source be blown out.  This annoyed the former tomb robber even more, and he mumbled something in Egyptian under his breath.  Silence cloaked the three like a blanket until they finally made it to the bottom of the rather long staircase. 

_Was it always that long? _Kaiba questioned silently.  He shook his head, chiding himself for being so ridiculous, and stopped in front of a strange looking box.    

"Here.  Now, one of you, give me a ha-" but the CEO was cut off as a very loud, shrill cry rang out through the darkness.  The candle flame sputtered and died.  

"Shit.  Do you have another match?" Yami asked uneasily.  

"No.  I could only find one."  

"Ha!  Is the great and almighty Pharaoh afraid of a little darkness?" Bakura sneered.  

(A.N- Yeah, yeah, I know.  Tristan said the same thing to Malik in the last chapter.  I couldn't resist.)  

"Shut up Tomb Robber."  

"Make m-what the fuck _is _that?!" The cry reverberated against the walls.  They could all feel the shuddering of it in the floor beneath their feet.  

"Perhaps we should hurry this up a bit?"  

"Contrary to belief, I am human and I do actually need light to see what the hell I'm doing so I don't electrocute myself, Yami."  

The decisions was made to go back upstairs and search for another match, but just as the three were coming to the door, it slammed shut, right in their faces.  Kaiba growled and tried to turn the handle, only to find it locked.  

"What the-" he was cut off once again by that shrill, spine-tingling cry.  

"What the hell is that?!"  Bakura shouted as he covered his ears, the shrill cry rising up higher than eardrums could handle.  The sound suddenly stopped, and the three let their hands fall limply to their sides.  

"Well, the only way we can go is down.  There's another staircase on the other side of the mansion.  

"Oh, just wonderful.  Let's take a tour of the whole damn basement, shall we?"  And with that, the two spirits and the CEO started back down the long staircase.   Halfway through, Yami stopped and clutched at the Millennium Puzzle.  He turned to Bakura. 

"Did…you just feel that?"  The spirit of the Millennium Ring nodded, his hand moving to feel the weight of the Ring.  Kaiba stopped too.   

"Feel what?"  

"A dark presence.  A _very _dark presence.  We should hurry on, just in case.  Yugi and the others might be in danger." 

"Wow…not only is he a pharaoh, he's a genius too."  Yami chose to ignore that comment and only proceeded to take the stairs two at a time, and, despite Bakura's sarcasm, was just behind the former pharaoh, leaving Kaiba just at his heels.  But, as they once again met the large, pitch-black room, there was a loud boom of thunder, as if Mother Nature was trying to warn the small group of the horrible things to come.   

That was when a ghostly figure rose up from the concrete ground.  It was the figure of a tall woman, and would have appeared to be alive, if not for her transluctant skin.  The group then found out the source of the noise as the banshee esque woman opened her pale, see through mouth and let out the same haunting wail they had heard before, but so loud this time, that before they could cover their ears, they felt the blood begin to trickle down their earlobes.  The woman continued her loud shriek, never closing her mouth once as the bloodcurdling scream continued.  

It was oddly enough Bakura who came to his senses first and grabbed the other two by the hands and dragged them behind himself.  His trained eyes scanned the walls for any sign of a door, as he heard the woman's shrieks chase the three.  

_Shit, she's following.  Damn it, there must be a door here somewhere.  _

The former tomb robber was rewarded as his sharp eyesight caught the glimmering metal of a doorknob.  He flung the door open, dragging his companions behind him and slamming the door shut.  He was panting as he sank against the wall, wiping away the salty sheen that had begun to form on his forehead with the back of his pale hand.    

"Needless to say, I think _that _was the dark presence we felt before, Pharaoh."  Even in such a quandary, Bakura didn't cease to patronize the spirit of the Puzzle.  Yami started from his daze as he was addressed, then nodded.  He turned to look at Kaiba, who had gone quite pale.   

"Since when did you house spirits here, Kaiba?"  Despite the fear that was shining clearly on his insipid visage, blue eyes glittered defiantly. 

"She wasn't here before tonight, I can assure you.  I would have heard it."  

Another screech could be heard from nearby the other side of the door.  Bakura stood up and crossed his arms, muddy orbs glittering as he asked simply, 

"Now what?"  

His question was answered as another shriek was heard; this time far too close to the group for comfort, then the placid face appeared.  She screamed again, only this time there were audible words mixed with her cry.  

"You can run and hide.  I will seek and find.  The game of Death begins tonight."  The three bolted out of the room, fear taking complete control.  They didn't need to turn their heads to know they were being chased.  They could feel the demonic woman's burning gaze on their backs, which only caused them to run faster.  Fear was all the three knew, despite the fact that, had they been thinking more clearly, the two spirits would have realized that they could defend themselves at least for a little while, using their Millennium magic.  

Yami turned a corner sharply, pulling the other two with him, as they doubled over, completely out of breath.  

"Wha-what…the hell…was…that?"  Kaiba gasped as he fought for control over his fear. 

"Now Kaiba…if…if we had…any clue…don't you think…we would have told…told you?"  came Bakura's snappy reply.   He received a glare from the CEO, but nothing more.  

"We have to get to the others…warn them.  Tell them we're playing the Game of Death."  

Bakura's head shot up as he whispered frantically,  

"That's what she said?"   

"Were you not listening?"  

"Oh, I'm sorry.  It's my fault I was a bit distracted with the sudden psychotic, screaming broad chasing after us!"  

He received yet another glare, this time from Yami, but chose to ignore it.  The shrieks carried on, cutting the groups break short as they took off at a run again, the spirit's minds spinning, as they knew they were playing the Game of Death.   

Sooooo….how did you like that? Don't worry, the Game of Death will be explained in Seto, Yami, and Bakura's next chapter.  I'm going to dedicate each chapter to each group.  There will be three.  As of right now, one group is Seto, Yami, and Bakura is one group, while Joey, Yugi, Tristan, Duke, Ryou, and Malik is another.  Next chapter is where Yugi, Joey, and Tristan split from the other three, which gives three groups.  Why I'm telling you guys this, just thought I might as well tell ya so you know what's coming.  In case you really didn't understand that, the next chapter will be basically about Yugi, Tristan, and Joey.  Oh yeah and…PLEASE REVIEW!  THEY HELP ME A HELLUVA LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK, GUYS!                                     


	3. Let the Games Begin

^.^  Yay!  I actually have something of a plot now!  Thank you to those who reviewed *cough cough*  -.-  On with the fic!!!  

"What's takin' them so long?" Joey asked no one in particular impatiently.  

"Hell if I know."  Duke snorted.  "They probably got lost in this place."   

"I doubt that.  Kaiba lives here, moron," Marik snapped.  He had noticed Duke inching closer to Ryou.  _Too _close, in his opinion.

(A.N- Hee hee.  Marik is _very _protective of his crush.  ^.^)  

Silence reigned for the next twenty minutes, until Tristan finally gave an aggravated groan and stood up from his position on the couch, striding towards the door that led into the hallway.  

"Tristan, where are you going?" Yugi asked.  

The spike-haired brunette replied with, 

"They're taking too long.  I'm going to look for some candles or a flashlight.  _Some _kind of light.  All this darkness crap is pissing me off."  

Malik snorted.  

"Whose afraid of the dark now?"  That comment earned him a glare from the brunette.  

"I'm not afraid.  I would just rather have some light than sit in the darkness the whole goddamn night, unlike you." 

Malik was ready to use the Rod, but felt Ryou's slim hand grip his wrist.  

"How about this?" the soft-spoken boy asked, "Joey, why don't you go with him?  I'm sure he'll need some help.  The mansion is quite big and it's easy for someone to get lost if they don't know the way around."    

"I'll go too," Yugi spoke up, "Someone has to make sure these two don't kill each other."     

"Ah, c'mon, I ain't gonna beat him up _that _bad!"  The dopey blonde slapped Tristan hard on the back in emphasis. 

"You're not gonna beat _me _up that bad?  Oh, I would be more worried about me beating you up!"   

"What?  Aw, c'mon, Tris, no need to lie. We all know how weak you are."   

"What?!"  Ryou and Yugi sweat dropped as they watched the brewings of a fight.  

"We should get to looking for those lights, guys.  No telling how long it'll take us to find something," Yugi said, grabbing the two boys by their wrists and dragging them out behind him. 

*~*  

"Joey, I think we were down this hallway before.  Are you sure you know what you're doing?"   

"Relax, Yug.  I could navigate us out of the Sahara Desert."  

Tristan blinked. 

"Wow, Joey.  You used a three syllable word!"  

"Tha-Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"        

"Nothing.  Nothing at all."  Tristan sighed.   

Joey suddenly took off down the hall ahead of them.  

"Gah!  Joey, wait up!" Yugi panted.  He nearly crashed into the blonde haired teen.  Joey was grinning as he looked at the door in front of them.  

"Heh…I think this is Kaiba's office," he said mischievously as his hand went for the doorknob.  

"Joey, I don't think we should go in there.  It's Kaiba's private office." 

"Yeah, but he probably has flashlights inside," Joey replied.  With that, he swung the door open and stepped inside, looking around.  

"Damn.  This room is _huge!"  _

Joey walked up to what he assumed was Kaia's desk and opened the drawers.  Nothing.  They were both empty.   

"Hey, I think I found some candles," Tristan called to the other two, holding up the white taper candle and a match as proof.  Joey groaned.  

"Does Moneybags have something against flashlights or something?"   

Yugi lit the match and it brought it to the candlewick. The three's faces were immediately thrown into a flickering glow.  

"That's better.  Now, let's go and see if there's anything else." 

 Upon finding nothing else of use, besides the..ahem…incriminating photograph of Seto and another man his own age with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes holding each other, which Joey begged Yugi to let him take, as "evidence," to which Yugi declined, the three walked out again, to go back into the darkness of the hallway.  Or, I should say, the two dragged the dopey blonde out, who was rather reluctant to leave without the said picture.

After a few moments of commotion, they began to wander down the hallway again, only with the candles small, comforting light to help guide them.  Tristan stopped suddenly, whirling around, his hazel eyes wide.  

"Did you just see that?"  

"See what Tristan?"  

"That…thing.  It looked like a person."  

Joey snickered as he said, "I think Malik was right for once.  Maybe ya are afraid of the dark."      

"Shut up."   

The three were suddenly plunged into darkness as the candle flame was extinguished into a puff of smoke.  

"Ah, fuck."  

But the flame suddenly came back to life, and grew.  Grew so that it devoured half of the candle wax, revealing the morbid scene that met the threes eyes.  Blood was running down the walls of the entire hallway, like the walls themselves were crying.  And in the middle was the most grisly message slowly being scrawled in the crimson liquid by invisible hands.  

_Let the games begin.  _    

-.- Yeah, I know.  Not much for them.  But I couldn't figure out how to begin this one.  I know what will happen in their next chapter, thought.  But that's for me to know and you to find out.  ^.^  Remember, next chapter is Ryou, Duke, and Malik's.  Oh yeah and GODDAMMIT PEOPLE, REVIEW!  ONEGAI?   


	4. The Three Doors

Here we are, once again.  I'm going to keep putting up new chapters so long as I have ideas, despite you peoples rather *cough* _dislike_ for this thing since you people decide not to review.   So, without further ado, here is the new chapter.  

Duke shuffled uncomfortably in the dark, bored out of his mind.  

"I'm beginning to think they really _did _get lost," he mumbled.  

"They have been gone awhile.  Maybe you were right.  After all, this is a rather large house.  I wonder what's keeping them?  I can understand Yugi and the other two getting lost, they don't even know this place.  But Kaiba?  Hmm…I think I'll go and see if they need any help." Ryou got up from the chair.  Duke stood up too, a hand snaking around Ryou's wrist.  

"I'll go too.  I don't think it would be a good idea for you to go alone."  Malik's eye twitched and he too stood up, joining the other two at the door.  

"So will I.  I'd…er…rather not be by myself in here."  _Yeah, right.  I don't trust that bastard with _my _Ryou.  _

(A.N- Hee hee.  Bit of a love triangle, eh?)  

He caught the faint gleam of annoyance in Duke's green eyes, and flashed him a smirk.  

The hallways were even darker than the living room.  Ryou shivered.  

"Creepy.  I hope we can help Kaiba fix the lights quickly." 

Duke took the opportunity to throw his arm "comfortingly" around Ryou's waist, pulling him into a tight hug.  

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."  Malik's eye twitched again.  He had half the mind to use the Rod on the flirtatious asshole, but reminded himself of what happened the last time Ryou had witnessed him use it on someone.  He hadn't talked to him for a week afterwards.  

(A.N.- Hee…poor Malik.  ^.~ Go Dukie.)   

*~*  

"Hmph…I think we're lost," Ryou said as the three slowly walked down a dark hallway.  Duke was still holding him tightly, to which he privately took comfort in.  

"What makes you say that?"  

"I don't think it takes this long to find the basement.  Perhaps if we find a flashlight, we'll have an easier time."  

_Damn, no excuse once we find one, _Duke thought dully.  

"Hmm…maybe there'll be something in here," Malik said, guiding Ryou towards the door.  He wanted to find one as quickly as possible so Duke would let go of Ryou.  He turned the knob and swung the door open, the mass of wood creaking on its un-oiled hinges.  There was a large window that stood from ceiling to floor on the other side of the rather huge room.  It was open, a steady rain pouring inside, wind blowing the thin silk curtains straight out.  There was a flash of lightning, then the boom of thunder.   

Ryou shivered again, but from the cold wind that brushed past the three as they entered the empty room.  

"Oh, he's practically begging for someone to rob him," Malik muttered as he began to cross the room to close it.  But he never made it to the other side as the entire tiled floor swung open on the unsuspecting teenagers, sending them tumbling into a deep, dark abyss.    

*~*  

A wave of pain shot up Malik's back as he landed.  Hard.  On cold, stone ground.   

"Ow," was all he could manage to get out before he felt the heavy weight of Duke landing on his stomach. Air was forced out of his lungs in a whoosh.  It felt like he had just received a rather hard punch straight in the gut.  

Duke got up quickly and smirked as he extended a hand to Malik.  

"Thanks for breaking my fall."

"Anytime," Malik snapped sarcastically.  Fuchsia and green orbs scanned the area.   

"Where's Ryou?"  Duke's question was answered as a strong gust of wind blew down on them from above.  Malik held out his arms just in time to stop Ryou from crashing into the stone ground.  The owner of the Rod shot Duke a superior smirk as he held the white-haired teen in his arms.  

"Are you okay?"  

"Y-yes.  A bit surprised, but I'm okay."   He looked up into concerned fuchsia eyes, his cheeks becoming tinged with pink as he realized that Malik was still holding him.  He was eased back onto the ground.  Duke was looking a bit pissed as he asked, 

"Where are we?"  The three looked around to find themselves in what appeared to be a tunnel.  A very dark tunnel.  

"Oh, wonderful.  Doesn't this scenario seem familiar?" Ryou muttered.  The other two looked at him strangely.  

"What?"  

Ryou shook his head.  

"Just remembering something that happened during Duelist Kingdom." 

"Uh huh.  We should try to find some light so we can see where the hell we're going."  

The three set off down the tunnel, hoping to find something to help light the way.  

Duke shook his head as he glanced up at the ceiling.  

"If this is part of Kaiba's mansion, he needs to see a psychiatrist.  Badly."

"I think he does already," Malik muttered.  

"Look whose talking.  At least _he _didn't try to take over the world!"  

Malik growled and was about to do something drastic, which Ryou must have sensed because he wiggled in between the feuding duo and tried to change the subject before a fight broke out by saying, 

"Well, how about that.  There are two tunnels.  We're going to have to choose."  

The other two thought for a moment, and then spoke at the exact same time, 

"Right." 

"Left."  

"I say we should go right."  

"I say we should go left!"  

"Right!"  

"Left!"  

"Right!"  

"Left!"  

Ryou massaged his temples.  He was beginning to lose patience with these two and their bickering.

"SHUT UP!"  

Duke and Malik blinked and stared at Ryou's sudden outburst.  

"We'll go left because I said so.  And if I hear so much as another word between you two, I'm going to kick your asses.  _Both _of you."  

And with that, the very annoyed teen stalked off down the left tunnel, leaving little clouds of dust in his wake.  Malik glared at his green-eyed opponent. 

"Great, now you just went and pissed him off."  

"Me?!  What about you?"    

(A.N.- Yeah, I know.  They fight a lot, don't they?)  

"I didn't do a Ra damned thing."  

Before Duke could do so much as utter a reply Malik took off after his white-haired friend, hoping to do some damage control.

*~*  

An hour later, Duke, who was walking a little ahead of Ryou, pointed ahead.

"Hey, I think I see a door at the end."  

Sure enough, a large mahogany door stood at the end of the tunnel, in which light was weakly shining through the crack at the bottom.  Duke grasped the knob and jerked it open, either not caring, or not noticing, as he almost knock Malik in the face.

The three blinked at the sudden light.  After their eyes had adjusted after a long period in darkness, the three teenagers eyes widened slightly.  

All that was in here was a small room with three doors.  All identical.  Except for the strange symbol carved into all three, each different.    

Ryou looked at the other two.  Then he eyed the three doors uneasily.  

"Well?  Should we split up?" Duke asked after a few moments of silence.  Malik shook his head.  

"I don't think that would be the brightest thing to do.  Something doesn't feel right." 

"Oh please," Duke replied cockily, "They're not monsters.  

"I agree with Malik.  You haven't seen some of the things we have."  

"You _know _I don't believe in that 'Shadow Realm' bullshit.  They're just doors.  What's the worst that can happen?" 

Ryou glanced at Malik uneasily.  

"He could be right.  We may just be worrying about nothing."  Malik groaned.  

"Oh, fine.  But only five minutes.  Then get your asses back here.  I still don't entirely trust those doors."   

"Five minutes it is."  

And with that, the group split up, each taking one door.  Duke entered the first, Ryou the second, and Malik the third, each completely unaware of the things that were waiting inside.  

This is sort of a makeup for making you wait for two days instead of one.  The updates should e longer now, because I've worked out more of the kinks for later on.  I know, this one isn't all that scary, but I promise, it'll get better.  Just stick with me here!  Oh yeah and, REVIEW PLEASE!  


	5. Let the Bodies Hang

Damn…well, that would certainly explain the lack of reviews. ^.^()  Gotta remember to fix that. Thanks to those who reviewed.  On with the ficcy!  

"In here," Kaiba panted as he quietly opened a metal door.  The two yamis followed, both gasping for breath.  Kaiba locked the door behind him and sunk against the wall.  He waited until they all caught their breath before asking, 

"What exactly _is _the Game of Death?"  

Bakura sat down next to him, Yami on his other side.  

"I'm sure you can barely remember anything about it, correct, Pharaoh?"  

"It's one of the only things I _can _remember."  

"Well then, care to begin?"  Yami shot him an annoyed glance, and then took a deep breath.

"The Game of Death was an old Egyptian legend.  It was said that there was once three people, two men and a woman.  They were criminals.  One night, the three attempted to steal a sacred statue from one of Maat's temples.  This angered Maat and she turned the three into demonic spirits.  The woman was changed into 'Banshee.'  One man, the 'Trickster' or 'Illusionist'.  The other man, the 'Shape-Shifter.' The three lost all sense and had to be imprisoned in a glass orb, which is what controlled them.  A-"

"What the hell does that have to do with the Game of Death?" 

"I'm getting to that.  Anyways, a decade or so later, another woman happened upon the orb.  But something happened to her.  The dark powers of the orb corrupted her.  She discovered it could prove to be quite powerful and created a game of a sort from it.  She would lure in humans, using the three demons as her Players.  The humans, or Participants, would be terrorized by the demons, until they either died of exhaustion, or the demons finally killed them."   

"So we're being chased by 'Banshee,' right?"   

"Yes."  

"I don't think I want to know, but, what happens if she catches us?"  This time it was Bakura who answered.  

"She'll either rip us limb from limb, or will devour our souls."   

"Wonderful.  Just wonderful." Bakura stood up and rushed the seat of his pants off.   

  "It could be wo-oh shit.  If Banshee is here, no doubt Mage and the Illusionist are here too."  Yami's eyes widened as he stood up.  

"Yugi and Ryou!"  

"Fuck!  We have to get to them before the demons do!"  The former tomb robber unlocked the metal door and took off as fast as he could down the hallway.  

"Hurry your asses up!"  Bakura called behind him, not bothering to stop running.  Yami and Kaiba were a little ways behind him.  The former tomb robber ran at full speed, until he came to a split in the hallways.  He didn't bother to wait for the other two, but simply ran down the right hallway. Seconds later, Yami and Kaiba came to a stop at the same split. Yami growled in annoyance.  

"That stupid bastard can never wait.  C'mon.  Hopefully he went this way."  The duo took the left passage, but walking this time, so they could catch their breath.  There was no sign of Bakura anywhere.  Just as Yami was about to turn around and go back to the split, the familiar scream rang through the air.  

"We'll have to look for him _after _we shake the Banshee," Kaiba said as they began running again.  

(A.N.- They do that a lot, don't they?)  

It grew darker as they kept on running, so that they couldn't even see their hands in from of their faces.  Kaiba bumped into something warm and heavy.  He went to move it aside but stopped as his fingers brushed against something wet and sticky.  His stomach lurched as he realized what it was.  Blood.  And it was all over his hands.  

"Y-Yami…"  

"I know," came the weak reply.  "Just…just keep on walking."  He closed his hand around the CEO's and gently pulled him away from the hanging body.  But he bumped into another one, and he felt hair brush against his bare arm.  

"They-they're everywhere."

"I know.  They're dead though.  They can't hurt us."  

"Then why do I feel like I'm going to puke?"  

Yami squeezed his hand and continued to make his way down the hall, his own stomach knotting in disgust. But it would soon get worse.  The bodies seemed to increase as they walked further down the hallway, so that it was impossible to walk without bumping into a body.   Yami shuddered as a limp hand brush against his arm.  He was about to walk forward when the hand slid back up and held tightly onto his arm.  No sounds came out of his mouth as he tried to pull his arm away from the hand, which caused it to squeeze tighter.  

"What the he-" Kaiba was stopped as a hand made its way up to his throat.  He gagged and tried to pull it off, but to no avail.  Dots swam before his eyes.  His lungs burned for oxygen.  Yami heard the choking and was about to help when he felt more hands grab him, holding him in place.  A hand slid around his own throat and squeezed.  He tried to fight it off, but only felt more hands grabbing him.  

^.^  Hee hee.  I'm going to end it here, just to keep you in suspense.  I know I said these would e longer and I'm sorry this one is so short.  Oh, and I fixed the review thing.  ^.^  Teddybear, yours made me laugh.  Characters will die in this.  But I'm not tellin' who.                       


	6. First Death

Gomen for making you guys wait so long.  I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday.  I think the cherry soda was drugged, Katana-chan.   California is evil!  Kitsuni-chan, get your ass back to New Jersey!!!!!  *sobs*  

"Wha-what the hell?"  Joey cried.  The message had been finished, and still glittered in the candle flame.  The blood was still fresh and was running down the wall in crimson rivulets.  

"C'mon, let's go!"  Tristan cried as he and the other two took off down the hall, Yugi still clutching the candlestick, the wax having burned all the way down and blown itself out. 

They finally stopped as they ran out of the gruesome hallway.  Yugi had squatted down and was vomiting fiercely.  Tristan and Joey were both trembling violently, fighting down the warm bile that threatened to erupt from their throats.  

"Shit.  What the fuck _was_ that?" 

"I have no idea.  I don't want to find out, either."  

Yugi straightened, having finally finished emptying his stomach, and wiped his lips, face pale.  

"That-that was disgusting." 

"Yeah.  What the hell is going on around here?" 

 "I think we'd all like to know that one."   

Yugi looked up suddenly to see someone he never though he would see again.

"Tea?"  Her figure was pale, but she was still dressed in her school uniform, what she had been wearing when she was killed.  She put a finger to her lips.  

"Shh." Then she disappeared around the corner.  

"Tea, wait!"  Joey blinked. 

"What?  Whaddya talkin' about, Yuge?"  

But the short teen didn't answer as he took off after his dead friend.  

"Hey, Yugi, wait up!" Tristan shouted as he and Joey ran after their friend.  But Yugi was oddly fast for his small size.  

Tristan skidded to a halt, causing his blonde haired friend to crash into him.  He shot his friend an annoyed look, then looked around. 

"Hey, where'd he go?"  

"Shit.  We lost him."  Joey cupped his hands around his mouth.  

"Hey Yuge!  Where are ya buddy?"

"Yugi!  Hey Yugi!  Where did you go?" But neither of them received a reply.  Silence was all they were answered with.  

"Damn it."  

*~*  

"Tea?  Tea, wait!"  Tea stopped and turned for a second, before opening a door and beckoning for Yugi to follow.  He obliged and shut the door behind him.     

"Tea, you're alive!"  

Tea smiled as the tri-colored haired teen ran up and hugged her tightly.  She stroked his hair.  

(A.N- Okay, well, it was one-sided love.  On TEA'S side!)  

"I missed you so much!"  Her smile grew wider, but, had Yugi seen it, he would have noticed the slightly sadistic feel to it, like the way Bakura or Malik would smile.  

"I missed you too, Yugi."  

"I thought you were dead."   Silence for a few moments.  

"Tea?" 

"Friendship can overcome anything, right Yugi?"  

"…Yes."  

"Even death?"  

"What?"  

"Friendship can overcome death, right?"  

"Tea…" Tea lifted her hand upwards, lightning flashing briefly; glinting off of the steel blade of the dagger she had been hiding behind her back.

"Friendship can overcome anything, Yugi," she repeated before she plunged the blade deep into Yugi's back.  He gasped, his innocent violet eyes wide as he collapsed against the person who he thought had been his dead friend, but really wasn't.  The person snickered her laugh deepening into that of a man's, her shape changing into that of a man's, and out of the pink jacket into the black pants, black shirt, and black trench coat.  Short brown hair lengthened until it reached the small of the mans back and changed into black and blood red, blue eyes changing to match the crimson streaks of hair.  He grinned sadistically as he stood, pulling the dagger out of the small boys back and letting his body fall to the ground with a dull _thud_.  

"Pitiful mortal," he sneered as he left the room, silently closing the door behind him.  He made no sound as he made his way down the hallway, swallowing the laughter that threatened to burst out of his mouth as he heard the young boys friends looking for him.  He could soon make out the duo in the dark.  The laughter became even harder to control as he heard the franticness in the blonde one's voice.  

"Your faith will get you killed," he whispered, but it was inaudible to the two teenagers.  Should he go after him next?  No, he could wait.  He wanted to finish off the sadistic white haired one first.  He would have fun with that one.     

BlackRose:  And I will end it here

Bakura:  -.-  These chapters aren't getting any longer.  

BlackRose:  Shaddap.  Don't forget, I have something bad happen to you in your next chapter.  

Bakura:  O.O  

BlackRose:  Well, now you know what's gonna happen in the chappie after Malik, Ryou, and Otogi's

Bakura:  You're going to kill me, aren't you?  

BlackRose:  Not tellin'    


	7. Blood Runs Fast

BlackRose:  *eye twitch* HE IS TOO KATANA-CHAN!  *chases after with a mallet*  HIEI RUN!  GO BACK TO KURAMA!  HE'LL PROTECT YOU!  *eye twitch*  Katana-chan, I'm gonna kill you!  *chases*

Bakura:  O.O  Erm…yeeeeeah.  Wait a minute….Neko-chan or BlackRose or whatever the hell your friends call you, what the hell is going to happen to me in the next chapter?  I wanna know, damnit!    Tell me!  Or I'll send you to the Shadow Realm!  *chases after BlackRose*    

"Now would be a really good time to have a flashlight," Duke muttered darkly as he walked down the hallway.  

The air was thick and dusty, not to mention uncomfortably humid.  Duke undid the black tie of his mourning suit and tugged it off, letting the article of clothing drop onto the ground behind him as he walked on.  

(A.N- All of them are still in their mourning suits…Yami just took off his dress shirt, tie, and jacket, which left only his wifebeater, if that's what its called.  ^.^  Forgot to mention that, didn't I?)   

"And central air," he added in an after thought as he wiped away the beads of sweat that had begun to trickle down his face.  The strands of black hair that were usually hanging in his eyes were clinging to his face from his perspiration.  It seemed to get hotter as he walked onward.  And the ground felt as if it was tilting forward.  Like he was slowly walking towards the center of the earth.  

_Shit.  Maybe I should turn back.  _He was about to turn around when he heard a horrible, ear-piercing shriek.  He slowly turned to face the noise, his emerald eyes widening as he saw something that seemed to jump out of a horror movie.  It was a ghostly woman who had made the sound; just quiet enough to get his attention, but not enough to scare the shit out of him…yet.  Blood trickled down her lips, staining them the same dark red, as she opened her mouth to let out an unearthly wail, revealing sharp, deadly fangs, so long they actually extended out of her mouth.  But Duke couldn't move for the life of him.  It was as if he was one of his Dungeon Dice Monsters, only there was no movement crest in the pool, so he was stuck there, unable to attack his enemy.   

And so the Banshee struck first, lunging forward like a hungry animal, fangs bared.  She met her target, her unnatural teeth sinking into the soft flesh of Duke's lean stomach.  He cried out as the bolt of pain shot up his entire body.  Blood flowed out of the wound like water, which the Banshee took great pleasure in.  Sense could only break through his fear to his mind enough to register that if he did not get her off he would die. His body responded quickly, shoving the Banshee off of him and getting up as fast as he possibly could.  He started running in the direction he had been walking before, some strange feeling in his wounded stomach telling him the way he had come in was somehow not a way he could escape.  If he had ignored his gut, he would have run back to the door, to discover it was locked, and where he would meet his slow and painful death.  But he always listened to what his gut told him, and he did now, ignoring the stitch that was beginning to form in his side as he ran harder.  He felt his heart pumping his own blood to the wound, and he felt it begin to trickle through his closed fingers.  He couldn't stop. Not until he lost that…_thing_…whatever the hell it was.  His body swayed once or twice as more of his life flowed out, down his hand, but refused to stop.  That is, until he came to a door.  It was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.   Panicked fingers slid around the knob and pulled, shutting it again as its owner ducked inside, gasping for breathe.  The Banshee did not follow, as she had other Participants to go after.  

Duke collapsed against the wall, holding his hand over his stomach, panting.  He gritted his teeth as another wave of pain came over him, sending fresh blood down his hand.  He didn't even notice his surroundings until the wave had somehow dulled.  He assumed it was from the blood loss.  The room he had entered was not a room at all, but yet another passageway in this maze of horrors.  And it was incredibly dark.  So dark that, as he began to walk down the corridor, he couldn't see the many corpses that hung from the ceiling, each body in a different pose, and, if you had enough light to check, a face to match that pose, whether it was contorted in a last, disrupted scream, or a look of pleasure, as if they had been killed during their climax during lovemaking.  Not until he bumped into one, anyway.  At first, he didn't know what it was, just some odd punching bag hanging in the hallway.  But as he went to move it, his free hand rushed against something rather strange for a punching bag.  Lips.  Cold, dead lips that had at one point, most likely been used to offer tender kisses to a lover.  

Then there were the choking sounds.  Gagging, like someone was trying to pull a rope or a hand off of his or her throat.  Or throats, as it sounded.  Duke moved closer, cautiously, in case it was to mean a threat.  But it wasn't a threat, could even be counted as a blessing, unless you knew enough to not use such a hopeful word in these circumstances.  Realization came.  The gagging was coming from people.  Real people.   And he had to help them, even if he didn't know them.  

He surged forward, all caution cast to the wind, using his free hand to help pry something that was most likely a hand, but he forced himself to think of as a cold, thick, rope, off of one of the person's throat.  There wasn't a word exchanged between the person Duke had saved and himself as they went to help the other person.  Moments passed as the two others gasped and choked on fresh oxygen, until their breathing had returned to normal.  

"Thank you," one person said.  Duke blinked, his bleeding stomach forgotten temporarily. 

"Yami?"  

"Duke?"  

"What the hell was that?"  

"If we knew, we'd tell you," the other voice answered, which turned out to be a repetition of what he himself had been told not that long before.  

"Kaiba?"  

"Who else would it be?" Duke would have shot something clever back at him, if he hadn't almost collapsed onto the ground.  Thankfully, Yami caught him before that happened, and also just so happened to feel warm blood splash onto his hand, which was coming from Duke's stomach.  

"What the-"  

"Something strange is going on."  

"What happened to you?"

"Where are the others?"  

"We all split up…in groups…to…to help…Ryou wanted to help you guys with the lights…me and Malik went with him…but we got lost…fell down some kind of hole…found three doors…we split up…then…then…some…_thing…_screaming cannibal attacked me…bit me…" his eyes widened.  "Oh God, Ryou!  We have to find him!"  

Then he passed out.  

BlackRose:  *stops running long enough to talk*  Enjoying this so far, guys?  Hope that was descriptive enough.  Not so sure.  Think I should up it a notch, 'Kura?  

Bakura:  -.- Call me that again and I'll kill.  Only certain people are allowed to call me that.  

BlackRose:  Hmph.  Ah well.  Remember what the next chapter is about.

Bakura:  O.O  Oh fuck.  You're going to kill me next chapter, aren't you?  

BlackRose:  Once again…*in singsong voice*  I'll never tell.  Oh yeah and…REVIEW AND TELL ME WHATCHA THINK!  NEED MORE DESCRIPTION? WHAT?  TELL ME!                     


	8. Lost and Lust

Hehe.  Here is the chapter I really been looking forward to getting to.  ^.^  This chapter will have a bit of lemony goodness in it…got a problem with it…then bye bye.         

Bakura continued his fast pace down the corridor, suddenly cursing the fact that the candle had long ago gone out.  

"Speaking of which, where the hell are the other two?"  To check, he spun around, looking behind him, although he wouldn't have seen them if they had even gone his way in the first place.  He made an irritated noise in his throat as he continued on, at a slower pace now, to catch his breath.  He stopped walking again, cocking his head slightly to the side as he listened for something.  It sounded like a scream.  

_Wonderful.  Why am I not surprised with the shit in here?  _He only hoped, although he would _never _under _any _circumstances admit, that everyone else was okay.  Continuing on his way, eyes wary of his surroundings, as this would be a perfect place to attack him, he trailed a hand absently along the wall.  A very odd, yet familiar sight met his eyes as he came to a corner.  Yami was standing there, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the far wall.  Bakura growled in annoyance again and stalked over.  

"Now what took you so damn long?  And where the hell's Kaiba?"  Yami remained in his position as the tomb robber came closer, eyes flashing angrily.   

"He decided to be a stubborn jackass and go the other way.  I couldn't change his mind."  Bakura snorted. 

"Why is it that I'm not surprised he did that?"  Yami fixed him with a look of his own, uncrossing his arms and straightening from his position against the wall as he replied, 

"Because he is Kaiba.  Now follow me.  I think we can keep going forward and get to the other corridor that way."  The former tomb robber raised an eyebrow.  

"It would make more sense if we just turned back, I hope you know."  

"You can't use sense when playing this game.  Otherwise you might as well kill yourself."  And with that said, he began walking forward.  Bakura thought about it for a moment.  

"I never thought about it that way."  Then he set off after the former pharaoh.  

Moments later Bakura paused, gripping Yami's arm to stop him.  

"I think I just heard Banshee."  

"Then we'd best hurry."  

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock."  This earned him yet another glare from Yami, before they began jogging down the hall, until Yami stopped at a door and swung it open, thrusting Bakura inside before quietly sliding the door shut behind himself.  Bakura looked around.  They were in a rather large and nicely decorated bedroom.  After walking around for a few moments, having deemed nothing in the room valuable, he flopped down on the huge bed and sighed.  

"How long do you intend to stay in here?"  

"Until the danger passes."  At this response, Bakura rolled his eyes.  

"Any idea when that will be?"   

"Do I even need to answer that?"  Bakura sat up and made a face at Yami's back, which was turned, because he was investigating the wardrobe.  

"Don't bother.  There's nothing interesting in it." 

"I don't intend to steal anything, Tombrobber."  

"Fuck you."  Yami didn't answer to that, just stood there, in front of the open wardrobe.  It appeared as if he were looking at clothes that were nonexistent, but he wasn't.  Moments passed in silence, and Bakura was looking out the window, having gotten bored of lying there, when he suddenly felt warm arms wrap around his stomach, and lips next to his ear, in which the words were whispered out, 

"Care to take me up on that offer?"  

(A.N- Katana-chan, if you're reading this, ya might wanna…er…skip a coupla paragraphs.  Hehehe.)  

Bakura couldn't control the slight gasp that came out of his mouth as the Pharaoh nuzzled his neck, brushing his lips against the tender skin, then sinking his teeth in.  His mouth slowly slid upward, hot tongue caressing the pale skin, until they met Bakura's lips in a tantalizing kiss.  He didn't even realize they had moved until he felt the soft mattress beneath him.  Yami slowly undid the buttons, carefully, slowly; one by one, until he reached akura's pants, then undid the buckle and button, pulling the zipper down slowly.  Soon the black pants and dress shirt lay forgotten on the floor.  Yami was straddling Bakura's waist and running his tongue slowly downward, from his chest.  This caused the former tomb robber to moan loudly in pleasure.  Yami still made his way down ward, kissing and licking every inch of soft flesh, until he made it down to his thighs.  He gently kissed the skin, then made his way down to the swollen member, which was now demanding to have the stress released.  He held it in his mouth, causing Bakura to moan in pleasure.  Just as the former tomb robber was about to climax, his organ was let out, and he felt a hand slid up and around his throat.  He opened his eyes, to meet crimson, which no longer seemed familiar.  Blonde, red, and black that seemed to defy gravity changed.  The blonde sank in and disappeared, where as the red grew darker, so that it was of blood, and the black grew more dominant, swirling with the red like so many bodily fluids do.  It grew far longer than it should have been, so that it hung down over his shoulders as he moved with the hand to straddle the bare waist once again.  The face changed from that of the familiar pharaoh, to a new face, more Egyptian.  The man squeezed tightly, a sadistic smirk that rivaled Bakura's own slowly spreading across his face.  Bakura gagged at the quick cutoff of oxygen.  Dots swam before his eyes as his lungs burned for air.  Everything started to grow dim as his brain began to shut down.  But one thing remained in his mind, something he fought to voice.   

"M…Mage…you heartless bastard."  It was a weak sound, something he would have loathed, had he not been on the verge of blackness.  A rasping, sort of gasp.  One that took the remnants of his energy.  Then he let go, his brown eyes closing before he went limp.  

Mage the Shape Shifter stood up, casting a weary glance at his unconscious friend.  

"If I had know, 'Kura…Gomen, old friend," he said quietly, mournfully, before he was send a sharp jolt by the orb, snapping him back into the heartless demon.  For but a free moment, his heart ached with sorrow and grief, before he covered his old friend and walked out of the room, now under control of the glass orb once again.  To victimize more Participants.  That blonde one had it coming.  So he set off down the dark hall once again, to continue playing the Game of Death.  

BlackRose:  ^.^  Well, how'd ya like it?  

Bakura:  THE PHARAOH?  WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG YOU?!  

BlackRose: I thought you would have fun.  

Bakura: Oh I'll show you fun.  I'll send your pathetic soul to the Shadow Realm!  *chases* 

BlackRose:  O.O  Eep!  *while running away from an extremely pissed off tomb robbing yami*  Okie, question.  You guys think I should up this to R?  REVIEW AND TELL ME!!! Oh yeah and…HELP!!!!!!!  


	9. Deadly Faith

BlackRose: *wails*  I know!  I am SO sorry for taking so long to update!  Ya see…I gots in trouble by my daddy.  .  Stupid goddamn dogs!  

Bakura: You!  Get back here so I can rip you apart!  I'm going to fucking kill you for what you did to me in the last chapter!!  

BlackRose:  O.O  Eep!  On with the chappie!  *runs* 

"Damn it.  Where the hell is he?"  Joey looked down both corridors.  

"Hey Yuge!  Get out here!  This ain't the place to be playin' Hide an' Seek!"   Tristan sighed as he leaned against the wall.  

"I don't think he's going to be coming out any time soon.  We've been lookin' for him for like an hour."  This earned him a glare from Joey.  

"We gotta keep lookin'!"  Tristan sighed again, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he tried to look at something other than his friend.  

"I think we would have found him by now.  Maybe…maybe he already found some lights and went to go get the others."  Joey brightened.

"That's gotta be it.  Now we just have to find 'em." 

So the duo set off once again down the hall, in search of their friends.  Unaware of the game they had been tricked into playing.  

*~*~*(scene change)  

Mage chuckled as he heard the frantic blonde's shouting.  He shook his head as he walked silently towards them, trench coat flapping soundlessly behind him.  But something was nudging at him.  His heart.  How was he supposed to know his old friend was still alive?  That he was one of the spirits of the Items?  His heart ached briefly as he thought bitterly, _A _dead _spirit of the Items.  Damn it 'Kura, why did you have to be one of them?_  He shook his head forcefully as he crept after the two humans.  _Concentrate on killing the Participants.  No time for remorse.  _Now, how to kill the two? Splitting them up was always easiest.  But that couldn't be done.  The blonde and brunette were no doubt almost inseparable.  He'd just have to kill the two together.  But how to do it was the question.  He contemplated this as he silently followed the two teens.  An image flashed before his eyes.  Short.  Tri-colored hair. Ah ha!  Now he knew how to kill them.  Instantly, his form morphed into that of an exact duplicate of the young boy he had killed not too long ago.  He left the two boys at a different hallway, cutting to the left so he could get ahead and wait for the two to pass before executing his plan.

*~*~*  

"Shit.  How can Kaiba make his way around this place without gettin' lost?"  

"I have no idea.  I'd never be able to find my way out of here.  He must have this whole place memorized or something."  

"Yeah, no kid-Yuge!  Hey Yugi!"  Tristan blinked and looked ahead.  There stood their old friend.  

"Where the hell've you been?" he asked. 

"I was trying to find you guys.  I…I got lost."  

"We did too.  We thought you disappeared or something." 

"Nope.  Listen…I found the others.  Kaiba couldn't get the lights to work, so they just went back into the living room.  They're waiting for us."  He jogged off, the blonde haired one at his heels.  But Tristan was confused.  Kaiba should be able to fix his own backup, right?  If not, no way in blue hell would he just go back upstairs like that.  And now that he thought about it, where was Yugi's puzzle?  Hadn't he had it on before?  Tristan shook his head.  Something was wrong about him.  He took so much time contemplating this, that by the time he snapped out of his thoughts, the other two were long gone.  

"Well, that decides it.  Looks like I'm all alone now."  He shuddered despite himself.  This place was creepy enough when it was just the three of them.  But now that he was alone?  No, best not think about what those shadows looked like.  Or the grisly message on the walls before.  What had that meant, anyways? 

*~*~*  

"This way.  Just down the stairs."  

"Since…since when did you get so…fast?" Joey puffed as he stood at the top of the rather long and narrow flight of stairs.  

"This isn't the way we went up either."  

"Joey, I think Kaiba had more than one staircase."  

"Oh yeah."  

"Follow me.  And watch your step."  And with that, the short teen disappeared down the stairs. Of course, Mage used a little magic to get to the bottom of the flight faster than the real Yugi could have possibly gotten.  He was waiting at the bottom, a smirk on his face that was completely unlike Yugi's normal grin.  

"Hey Yuge, wait up."  

"C'mon Joey.  You're too slow.  I'll leave without you if you don't hurry-"

But his threat was stopped as Joey lost his footing, crying out as he did so.  Muffled thuds could be heard as the dopey blonde tumbled down the long flight of stairs, body falling at a dangerous angle, head and neck first. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop from falling.  There was a sickening _crack _as Joey finally made it to the bottom.  But he wasn't moving.  His head lay at an unnatural angle, one bone jutting out of the side of his neck.  He never got up, honeyed orbs ever staring into space, his mouth an _O _of surprise.  Yugi's chuckle grew louder and deeper as he changed back into Mage.  It soon became a maniacal laugh, one most similar to Bakura's.  

"I tried to tell you to watch your step.  You're faith in little Yugi was your demise, young one.  Pitiful, really, to be so damn devoted to your loved ones that you couldn't even tell the difference between them and an imposter.  Such a shame.  Such a dreadful shame," he whispered before he placed his boot above Joey's head and brought it down.  The shattering of his skull echoed throughout the room as blood and brain matter spattered all over the floor.  Mage chuckled again and swiftly walked away from the dead blonde, deciding whom he should play with next.  

Bakura:  HAHAHAHAHA!  The mutt got himself killed!  By falling down the stairs!  How fitting! 

BlackRose:  O.O  And Katana-chan and Okami-chan say I'm bad.  I get it from him! *points*  Oh yeah, and guys, please tell me what you think of it so far.  Is it scary enough?  Have enough gore?  Should I up it to rated R?  I NEED TO KNOW HERE PEOPLES!!!!!                         

           


	10. Chimeiteki Shin

Chimei-teki Shin

BlackRose: Sorry I took so long.  I was kinda concentrating on other shit.  

Bakura:  About time.  

BlackRose:  Leave me alone, ya big bully.  On with the ficcie!  

Malik walked around the dark room, carefully picking his way so as not to fall through another hole if there was another one in here.  He turned around quickly as something shining caught his eye.  He began to walk slowly, cautiously towards it to get a better look.  It was a heart.  A human heart.  Floating a few inches above its pedestal, still beating.  It was also casting a faint reddish glow around the room.  Malik stared at it in awed amazement for a few moments, as if he were hypnotized.  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage to tear his gaze away from the beating organ.  Trembling fingers slowly reached out to touch the organ.  His fingertips rushed against it for a brief moment before he snapped out of his haze and pulled his hand back.  Gazing down at the tips of his fingers now stained red, he realized that the heart was indeed very fresh.  He remained staring at it for a few more moments, as it continued to beat.  He didn't, couldn't, tear his eyes away from the gruesome trophy.  That is, until a voice that sounded so much like his own ran out in his head.  

_/Hello, Hikari./_

Malik's eyes widened.  No.  He-he couldn't…it was a trick.  Marik had been banished.  

_/You can't banish yourself./  _

_//You're not apart of me.  Just an abomination//_

_/Oh, but I am a part of you, dear Hikari.  I AM you./  _

Then he began to laugh.  Loudly, his voice echoing throughout Malik's head in a resounding cackle.  

_//Stop it!  Please…go away.  You don't belong here!//_

_/Now, why would you say that.  I'm hurt./_

_//Just stop talking to me!  Leave me alone!  You've done enough!//_

_/Oh I have, have I?/_

_//You shouldn't even be here!  You CAN'T be here!//_

_/Why shouldn't I be here?  I'm apart of you.  You CAN'T get rid of me!/  _

And the young Egyptian crumbled to his knees, hands gripping his platinum blonde hair as he gritted his teeth.  The sound of his yami's voice was becoming louder and louder.  He wouldn't have heard anything else even if he tried.  He let out a scream of pain as it felt like his yami was having a tantrum inside of his head.  The Millennium Rod lay on the floor next to him, completely forgotten as the Egyptian continued ton wail.  

_/Face it Hikari, you'll never be rid of me./  _  

Malik was trembling despite himself, his stomach fluttering as if he had swallowed a glass container of butterflies and the container had broken, setting the butterflies free to roam about in his stomach.  His lavender eyes were wide, and his mouth open as he gasped for breath.  He felt like all of the oxygen was being choked out of him, and there was nothing he could do.  Slender fingers curled up against the carpet, gripping it as hard as they could.  

(A.N- Kinda like his power in dark Mind, Tortured Soul, eh?) 

And the heart's beating grew more rapid, so that it was pounding against the pedestal, causing it to rock.  But before it could topple off of the stone, it inflated, deflated, then inflated again so that it was almost as big as Malik's aching head.  It _thud thudded _once more, then exploded, so that it was raining small pieces of tissue and blood, soaking the entire room and its occupant in a messy silt.  But the Egyptian paid no attention to it, hell; he hadn't even heard the hearts almost thunderous beating.  He cried out once more, fingernails digging so far into the carpet that there was a ripping sound as the nails tore the material.  He shrieked, couldn't take it anymore.  Suddenly, he spotted the Rod lying dormant on the floor beside him.  Only one thought was aloud to reverberate across his mind.  

_The blade, must use the blade. _

Fingers grasped the golden Millennium Item and immediately unsheathed it.  He brought the blade to his wrist and dragged it across the tender skin.  The blade bit hard into his skin, and he would have brought it all the way down, had he not suddenly snapped to his sense.  He looked at his wrist, remembering all of the other times he had done such a thing, shortly after Battle City.  But he could never do it hard enough to end his life.  No, he hadn't wanted that.  But this time, he had come close to it.  So close and he hadn't even realized it.  Immediately sheathing the blade again, he shakily got to his feet.  He felt the blood trickled down his hand in a steady stream.  Ripping some of the material off of his shirt, he wrapped the cloth around the wound and set to find a way out of the suicidal room.  He only then noticed the unpleasant heart leftovers, which not only somehow managed to stain the walls, but himself too.  Fighting down the wave of nausea, he continued his search, until his hands brushed against the cold brass of a doorknob.  Fingers curled around it and gave the knob a sharp twist, flinging the door open.  He took off down the hall, eager to get away from the gore covered room.  He realized it was a different hallway he had gone down, but not really giving a damn.  All that mattered was that he put as much distance between himself and that horrible room.  He stopped finally a few minutes later, panting as he leaned against the wall.  A sudden thought hit him.  

_Ryou.  I have to find him.  He may be in trouble.   _

With this thought in mind, the scared teenager took off again, praying he would get to his white-haired friend in time.  

Bakura:  These will get longer she says, I promise she says.  Well, it doesn't look it. 

BlackRose:  *sighs*  I know.  They aren't, are they?  

Bakura:  I wouldn't have said so if they were, now would I?  

BlackRose:  I should have asked Malik to do this.  HE is nicer at least.  Needless to say guys, although from the slower amount I've gotten, maybe it is necessary.  REVIEW, ONEGAI!!!!              

             

                          


	11. Nakusu Koto

BlackRose:  Ugh.  Too many ideas.  *smacks head on desk*  

Bakura: *walks in* Er…what the hell are you doing? 

BlackRose: Trying to stop getting ideas for fics.  There's just too Ra damn many!  

Bakura:  -.- I thought you LIKED getting ideas.  

BlackRose: Yeah, but not this many!  *smacks head on desk again* 

Bakura:  -.-  Since BlackRose is busy trying to break the desk with her skull, I guess I'll have to say it.  *groan*  On with the…Ra help me…_chappie_.  *shudders*  .  .  No one better have heard that.  

Yami shook Duke roughly. 

"Wake up!" 

"I don't think this is the place we want him to awake in," Seto said quietly, keeping as much distance as he could between himself and the bodies, which wasn't much.  His throat ached and he fingered the bruises lightly.  

"Good point. Let's get out of here."  

The two looked around.  

"The question is…is there another way out?  We sure as hell can't go back the way we came."  Something nearby shuffled.  Seto pulled something out of his jacket.  There was a brief flicker of light, then a rather loud boom.  Yami jumped despite himself.  

"What was that?"  Seto held up his hand, which was gripping something small and metal.  Yami face-faulted.  

"Why the hell didn't you use that before?  And why the hell do you have it?!"  

"I only just remembered it.  I wasn't thinking clearly before.  As to why I have it, you seem to forget I own a very large corporation.  I need to protect myself with something, right?"  

"I don't think they should let you keep that.  You're dangerous enough as it is.  You don't need a weapon on top of it."  

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."  

Yami opened his mouth to speak, only to be stopped as Duke groaned rather loudly.  He cried out and held his hand over his stomach.  

"Shiiiiiiiit."  Yami started, remembering that their friend was rather hurt.  

"We need to get you somewhere safe."  

"No, don't worry about me.  I'm fine."  

"You're bleeding through a hole in your stomach.  That's not 'fine'," Seto snapped.  Duke shot him a dirty look. 

"I'm conscious, aren't I?"  

"You weren't before."  Ignoring his protests, Seto took off his jacket and wrapped it around Duke's stomach, careful to not disturb the wound.  Seto looked at Yami.  

"We really need to find a way out of here.  Fast."  Almost as soon as he said that, something caught his eye.  Light was seeping through a crack at the bottom of the wall.  He crept towards it, his fingers brushing against something cold.  He tightened his hold and swung the door open.  

"And this would be our way out," he said.  Yami looked suspiciously at it.  

"I don't think-"  

This time Duke spoke up.  

"Would you rather stay in here?"  

"No."  

"Then that door is our only way out."  Yami sighed and followed Seto, helping Duke, who had wrapped an arm around Yami's shoulder and was using him to help him stay upright.  Seto led the way into the room.  As soon as Yami and Duke had cleared the door, it swung shut, a familiar and unsettling click of a lock following it.  

"Well, that settles it.  We have no choice but to keep going," Duke said.  

"I'm really starting to loathe your mansion, Kaiba," Yami muttered.  

"So am I."  

The three proceeded to make their way through the room.  Despite the light that had been shining through the crack, the room was almost as dark as the previous one.  

"Shit," Duke said after a few moments of silence, "I hope Ryou's okay."  

"I'm sure he's fine.  If that psycho is with him, he's safe."  

"I told you before Kaiba, we _all _went separate ways!  He's by himself!"  

"Then I'm sure he saw sense and went back to find Malik."  

"I hope your right."  

"I always am."  

Duke and Yami sweat dropped at this.  

"Full of himself, isn't he?" Duke muttered.  

"I'll say."   

Kaiba began to realize something as they went further into the room, which turned out to be yet another hallway.  It was getting colder.  Duke shivered.  

"Is it just me, or did it get extremely cold all of a sudden?"  

"No.  It's cold as hell."  Yami's teeth were chattering.  Wife beaters weren't exactly meant to keep a person warm.  

"Sshh.  Did you hear that?" Kaiba whispered.  Duke and Yami glanced at each other.  

"Hear what?"  Kaiba lifted his head as he heard the moan.  

"That."  

"I think being in here is getting you p-" Yami clutched at the puzzle and cried out, letting go of Duke as he fell to the floor.  Duke's head spun.  Strong arms wrapped around his waist to keep him from landing on the floor too.  

"Yami?  What is it?" Kaiba asked, alarmed.  

"No…no…nononononono!  Yu-Yugi!  NO!"  

"Yami?  Hey, you okay?"  

"Does he look okay, Devlin?"  

Duke chose to ignore this.   

"YUGI!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"  Tears were streaking down Yami's cheeks.  Duke crouched down, ignoring the pain that shot through his stomach.  He reached out to touch Yami's trembling shoulder.  

"He-he-he can't...can't be…NO!  YUGI!"  Duke's eyes widened and he turned to Kaiba.  

"Do you think…"  

"It's possible."  

"I failed…to protect him.  YUGI!  No!" 

"Yami, get up," Kaiba snapped.  Yami didn't hear him.  He just continued to mutter.  

Kaiba was getting annoyed.  Duke being injured was enough.  Now he had a mourning yami on his hands.  

"Damn it Yami, we don't have time for this!"  He proceeded to pick Yami up by his collar and set him on his feet, then placing Duke's arm over his shoulder again, who was leaning heavily against him.  

Yami was now staring straight ahead, at the wall, saying nothing.  Duke waved a hand in front of his face.  Yami stood, unblinking.   

"Come on Yami, snap out of it."  He received no answer.  

"Well, at least walk."  And, unbelievably, the former pharaoh proceeded to follow as Kaiba and Duke began walking.  There was only one thought echoing throughout his head.  

_Yugi…I've failed him.  Failed at my job as his yami.  _

Then he crumpled to his knees again.  Part of his soul felt like it had been ripped away from him.  Then again, that was what had happened.  Duke let go of Kaiba, swaying slightly as he picked Yami up and backhanded him. 

"You can grieve once we get the hell out of here.  Now isn't the time."  He swayed again, feeling the floor tilt up to meet him, only to be caught before he fell.  

Yami blinked, shaking his head morosely.  

I…will have to think of this later.  I may not deserve to live anymore, but that doesn't mean I have to bring Kaiba and Duke with me.  

He resigned himself that this wasn't the place to mourn.  He could die after he helped  the other two get through this. 

BlackRose: Yeah, I know…not any action.  Wasn't even scary at all.  That's cause I couldn't really think of what to do for them in this chappie.  ^.^()  The next chappie will be a helluva lot better, I promise.  REVIEW PLEASE!           


	12. Pendulum Swings

BlackRose: I know I haven't done it yet and here we are 12 chapters into the fic, but I wanna thank all of you really nice people who reviewed this so far.  I'll say what I said in Dark Mind, Tortured Soul.  You have no idea how much each and every review means to me, and I love you all for being so kind, although I don't think I deserve such nice things said.  There are many, many, many people that write a helluva lot better than I do yet you all still are so kind.  ^.^  *huggles all reviewers and gives them lollipops and roses*  On with the chappie!     

Tristan slowly walked down the dark corridor, trying to be as quiet as possible.  He dragged his hand along the wall.  A flash of lighting briefly lit up the room, revealing that he was walking down a rather long hallway.  

"Kaiba must be obsessed with hallways," he mumbled.  He heard someone walking behind him and whirled around.  To find no one there.  He shook his head.  

_C'mon, this is no time to lose your head, Tristan.  _His fingers passed by a knob.  He hadn't even realized he had reached a door.  Instinctively he opened it and crept inside.  Another flash of lightning, followed by the boom of thunder greeted him.  He realized he was in a child's room.   

"Must be Mokuba's."  He walked around slowly, eyes searching for something.  Maybe, although he doubted it, Mokuba had a flashlight or something in here.  Something in the corner caught his eye.  An aluminum bat lay propped up against the wall.  He picked it up.  Couldn't hurt to have something to defend himself with, now could it?  He immediately entered the hall again, pausing for a moment to look around, then starting down the hall again.  His heart thudded against his Adam's apple as he heard footsteps muffled by the carpet behind him.  This time he _wasn't _hearing things.  Something _was _following him.  His fingers tightened instinctively around the bat, but he didn't turn around.  Best wait until….there was a turn in the hallway up ahead.  Forcing himself to stay at the same pace, he continued walking.  Just as the corner came in view, he turned and pressed himself against the wall.  His pursuer was breathing rather loudly, their breath ragged and wheezing.  He could hear him, but not see his face, as it was rather dark.  He brought the bat back and swung.  Hard.  It landed with a satisfying _crack_ in his pursuers face.  

"GAH!!"  Tristan dropped the bat.  

"Ba-Bakura?"      

"Who the hell else would it be mortal?"  Bakura held his nose as he felt blood trickle down his face.  

(A.N- Bakura: *cackles* I'M ALIVE!)  

He immediately rounded on the spikey-haired brunette.  

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?  YOU DON'T GO HITTING PEOPLE IN THE FACE WITH BATS!"  

Tristan rubbed the back of his head. 

"I thought you were someone else."  Bakura growled.  

"You better have," he muttered, still holding his nose.  It hurt like a son of a bitch.  

"If you broke my nose, I'm going to kill you."  

"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to creep up on me.  You could have just said something, you know."  

"I thought you were Mage."  

"Who?"  Bakura sighed.  

"Never mind."  

"Why would you think I was someone else?  Does he look like me or something?"  

"I doubted you managed to live this long."  

Tristan scowled.  

"I'm not an idiot, you know."  

"Could've fooled me."  Tristan's eye twitched.  

"What the hell are you doing here, anyways?  And where's that mutt and the Pharaoh's brat?"   Tristan shrugged.  

"They kinda…er…went up ahead."  Bakura laughed.  

"So they actually did something intelligent and left you behind."  Tristan's face flushed and his hand curled into a fist, flying through the air to land a punch on Bakura's cheek.  Or, try to, as Bakura easily caught it and sent the brunette to the floor. 

(A.N- Bakura:  Idiot.  Like he could actually strike me.  BlackRose:  but he hit you in the nose with the bat.  Bakura:  Shut up.  That was different.  BlackRose: How so?  Bakura:  -.-  Just shut up and stop interrupting the chapter.  I'm sure the readers want to read the story, not your stupid interruptions.  BlackRose:  Reow!)  

"Asshole," Tristan mumbled.  

"You were stupid enough to think you could hurt me.  Now whose fault is it you fell?"  Tristan didn't answer, only tried to burn a hole through Bakura's forehead with his glare.  Bakura snorted.  

"I'll take that as an 'it was my fault so I'm not going to answer and make an ass out of myself.'  Now, get up off your ass and come with me."  Tristan stood and glared, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.  

"Why should I go with you?"  

"You can stay here…if you'd rather end up just another corpse in this insane asylum."  

"Odd way of putting, considering it came out of your mouth.  I would have thought the nuthouse was your second home."  

"There is a fine line between sanity and _in_sanity."  

"Yeah, and you crossed over into insanity in Ancient Egypt."  

"Like your perfectly sane?  You can't possibly be, considering who you choose to befriend."  

"You just insulted Ryou by saying that, you know?  Then again, I'm sure you've done much worse to him."  

"You barely know him.  I wouldn't call him a friend of yours since you hardly ever talk to him.  And as for that last part, not that it's any of your business, but I don't raise a hand to Ryou."  _Not anymore, _he added silently.  

"Bullsh-"

"Get down you moron!"  Bakura pulled Tristan out of the way, just in time to avoid a swinging pendulum slicing off the back of Tristan's head, putting the former tomb robber in a very awkward position as Tristan landed on top of him.  They lay that way for a few moments, staring at each other's faces in surprise.  Bakura blinked and growled.  

"GET OFF ME!"  Tristan's cheeks flushed as he stood as quickly as possible, almost losing his balance as he did so.  He extended a hand to help Bakura up, only to have it slapped away.  

"_I don't need your help,_" he hissed as he too stood, brushing himself off.  He was muttering to himself and didn't notice the pendulum heading straight for his head.  

"Heads up!"  He ducked just in time and heard the blade whoosh past his head.  He scrambled away from it and bumped into Tristan. 

"Gah, damn it!  We have to get out of here…NOW!" the highly pissed off and embarrassed tomb robber snapped.  Without thinking more of it, he grabbed Tristan by the hand and, skirting around the swinging pendulums, led him down the way he had come.  Not that he missed every one.  He would have been sliced in half had Tristan not noticed and pulled him back a split second before it hit him.  Although he wasn't completely unscathed, hissing as the blade caught his abdomen.  Pendulums were coming out of ever crack in the wall, making it a very deadly game of dodge.  By the time they had gotten down the hallway, they were both panting.  

"You know…this feels…feels…oddly…familiar," Tristan gasped as he doubled over.  Bakura's eyes snapped up at him.  

"How so?"  

"Well, lesse…running from things…you saving my ass…more running from things…you saving my ass again…is this getting through to you?"  Bakura's eyes narrowed.  

"This…is nothing like…Duelist Kingdom.  Unless you just happen to be carrying another soulless body on your back and I wanted to steal it from you."  

"As of right now…I'm all out of soulless bodies."  

"I wouldn't want a you as a new host anyways…if that's what your thinking.  Unless you would _like _me to put your body to use."  Tristan sweatdropped.  

"Uh…you're joking, right?"  

"I'm perfectly serious."  The sweatdrop on Tristan's head grew bigger and he began to edge away from Bakura, who scowled.  

"I was joking, you idiot."  

"Oh…I knew that."  Bakura made a face.  

"Idiotic mortal."  He looked around.  

"Hmm…how the hell did we get to the stairs?  They weren't there before."  Tristan looked up.  

"What are you talking about?"  

"Those," he pointed, "Were NOT there before."   

"Oh.  Well, maybe it leads downstairs."  He expected the former tomb robber to shoot another insult at him, but was pleasantly surprised.  Bakura considered it for a moment.  

"It's possible.  I wouldn't be surprised, what with all of the strange shit that's happened so far.  C'mon."  He grabbed Tristan again, who didn't really mind the touch, and began to pick his way carefully down the stairs. 

(A.N- Bakura: WHAT?!  THAT RA-DAMNED MORON HAD BETTER NOT HAVE ENJOYED THAT!)      

"Watch your step.  These may be rigged."  Tristan nodded as Bakura let go, his hand guiding him down the wall.  Tristan followed suit.  They made it down the stairs, only to bump into something solid.  

"Shit.  I knew there was a catch.  There's a door," he tried the knob, "and it's locked.  Damn it!"  He kicked the door angrily and stepped up a few stairs, ramming into the obstacle that blocked their way downstairs.  He looked at Tristan.  

"Care to help? Or do you just want to fucking watch?"  Tristan didn't respond, only backed up and rammed the door with his shoulder.  There was a crack, but the door held.    

"This isn't working.  On three, we hit.  One.  Two.  Three!"  And with that, they both rammed into it a final time, to hear a satisfying _smack _as the door finally gave, allowing the two to breathe in fresh air.  Wait a minute…

"We're outside?"  

"No…we're at the arcade.  What do you think?"  Bakura glared at Tristan, grinding his teeth, but didn't try to hurt him.  No one _ever _talked to him like that…except for the Pharaoh, and even that pissed him off.  He was knocked out of his dark thoughts as a hand took his own and dragged him across the empty lawn and up to the front gate.  

"What are you...let go of me!"  Tristan complied, letting Bakura's hand fall limply to his side as he began to climb the gate.  He paused and looked at the former tomb robber.  

"Well? You coming?"  

"Where are you trying to go, exactly?"  Tristan looked at him as if he had grown a second head.  

"To get the hell out of here and go get help."  Bakura returned the incredulous looked.     

"Why the hell do you think your 'authorities' would help us?  They wouldn't believe us! And I don't doubt that by the time we got back, everyone would be dead!"  Tristan jumped back down next to Bakura, frowning.  He considered it for a moment, then nodded.  

"You're right.  There's something freaky going on here and the cops probably wouldn't believe us anyways.  But now what do we do?  Stay outside and wait until morning?"  Bakura shook his head.  

"No," he paused, "We're going back in there." Tristan blinked and looked back at the mansion looming up behind them.  He gulped, and then nodded again.  

The gears in Bakura's mind were turning as instinct helped him look for the window that seemed the least intimidating.  After a few moments of silence, he seemed to make his decision and began walking back to the mansion, ignoring the streak of lightning that got uncomfortably close to him.  Tristan blinked, then ran after him to catch up.    

"What are we doing?"  Bakura glanced at him exasperatedly.  

"Looking for a window to break into."  The exasperation made itself known in his voice.

"Why don't we use the door?"  

"Think about where that would most likely lead us to, you idiot!  Unless you _want _to be slaughtered by the pendulums, we're going in through that," he motioned, "window."  

"Great.  First I get stuck with you, nearly get killed, and now I have to break into Kaiba's house.  Just wonderful."  Bakura lost his temper, as they were now right next to the window, and he pinned Tristan to the wall, bringing his face so close that Tristan could feel his breath on his face.  

"Listen to me, mortal, and listen well.  There are quite a few other people I'd rather be with right now other than you.  The only thing keeping me from sicking my Man Eater Bug on you is the fact that I would most likely screw myself over in the process.  Now, I suggest you shut the hell up and quit your bitching before you make me kill you.  Understand?"  He waited for Tristan to nod, then smirked as he allowed Tristan to pick himself up from the wall.  

"Good.  Now, let's go back inside, shall we?"  With that, Bakura walked over to the window, and, without a second thought, brought his fist back and punched it through the glass, shattering it.  His smirk grew wider and he stepped inside.  The smirk faded as he had to help Tristan in, still slightly pissed off that he got stuck with _him _of all people.  Hell, even the Pharaoh would have been of more use.  He shook his head as Tristan frantically tried to get the cobweb off of his hair and rolled his eyes.  

_ I'm fucked.  _He snapped at Tristan to quit screwing around and follow him as they walked out of the room and into yet another hallway, Bakura hoping that he had made the right decision in going back inside.  He could only hope his hikari had managed to last this long so he could find him and get the hell out of this madhouse.  

BlackRose:  Sorry, I know, hardly any action here too.  *apologizes profusely*  I promise the next chappie will get better.  ^.^  We finally get to see what happens to Ryou.  

Bakura:  *grumbles*  First I get killed by someone who was pretending to be Yami, now I get stuck with this moron.  Why do you hate me?  

BlackRose: I dun hate you, 'Kura.  You my favorite character.  That's why I have you with me when I type.  

Bakura: -.- How many times have I told you NOT TO CALL ME THAT?

BlackRose: Aw, I love you too 'Kura.  *huggles*  

Bakura:  O.O  Get...the fuck…off me.  Now!  *gags*  Can't…breath!  

BlackRose:  REVIEW PLEASE!       

             


	13. Sister's Lie

BlackRose:  CRAP.  I am soooooooo sorry for taking so long to update.  I was working on my book…^.^()  eh heh.  Once again…I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING THIS LONG TO UPDATE.  On with the chappie!  

Ryou tried not to think about the things that could be waiting in the dark for him.  _God, I wish I had some light.  Who the hell knows what's down here.  _He shook his head as he walked.  _Stop being stupid.  There ARE no monsters down here because they DON'T EXIST!  _He shuddered despite himself.  Suddenly, light sped down the entire hallway as all of the bulbs flickered to life.  

"They must have fixed the lights then."  He let out a sigh of relief.  

"Now, to find a way out of here and get back to the others."  He stopped in front of a window and looked out, just as a flash of lighting flickered across the angry sky.  A loud boom of thunder chased after it.  

"The storms still going strong.  And I'm going to stop talking to myself now."  Just as he turned, his eyes met a door on the opposite wall.  He blinked.  

_Was that there before?  _

He chided himself for being so foolish and reached for the door.  Just as his fingers touched the surprisingly hot knob, a scream echoed throughout the hall.  He turned his head to the sound, brown eyes widening as he saw the screamer.  A woman, completely transparent, blood dripping down her mouth and landing on the wooden floor with a loud _plop,_ stood there.There was a large puddle already on the floor beneath the woman's mouth.  Ryou stared in shock for a moment as the woman glared, angry black eyes narrowed.  She screamed again, but before she could get any closer to the white haired teen, he gripped the knob and threw open the door, ran in, and slammed it behind him, making sure to lock it.  His heart was thumping.  He swallowed and looked around.  

"What the-this is the room we were in when we fell through the floor!"  Sure enough, it was the same.  The window was still open on the other side of the room.  But there was a difference.  In the center was a high-backed chair, the occupant the last person on earth Ryou had expected to see.  

"A-Amane?" he gasped.  His sister nodded, a sweet smile on her face.  She didn't say a word, however, just rose from her position in the chair and stood there.  

"No-you-you can't be alive!  You're dead!  I was there with you when you and Mother died! You can't possibly…" He trailed off.  Amane smile grew larger.  

_I'm alive, big brother.  Why would you think differently?  I'm here, aren't I?  _The white haired girl didn't open her mouth once, yet Ryou could still hear every word.   

"But…how?"  

_You don't believe me, Ryou?  But…I thought you would be happy.  _

Her face crumpled, and she looked as if she would cry, turning her back to him and walking towards the window.  

"Amane, wait!  Please!"  She turned, shaking her head sadly as the tears trickled down her face.  

_Why should I?  My own brother thinks I'm d-dead.  _Ryou's own brown eyes watered.  

"No…that's not it.  I-I swear it!  I believe you!  Just come back!"  

More tears trickled silently down the young girls cheeks as she continued walking away, walking closer and closer to the window.  

"Amane!  Please!  Stop!"  

She did indeed turn around.  

_Why?  You don't believe me at all!  You-you think I'm dead!  I hate you, Ryou! _

"I believe you!  I do!  Please, don't-don't hate me, sister!"  

Why shouldn't I?  I have every right to!  If you think I'm dead, then-then maybe I should just die right now and leave you to your fantasies! 

A tear trickled down Ryou's cheek as he whispered, 

"No…Amane…don't…" Amane continued walking.  He could hear her sobs as she walked closer to her death.  He bolted, running as fast as he could towards her to stop her.  

"Stop!" he cried.  She continued on, walking onto the balcony, and climbing onto the railing, the wind causing her white dress to flutter out before her, tugging at her hair, as if egging her on to commit the deed.  The rain puddled at her bare feet.  She turned her head to look at her brother one last time, a small smile on her face as the tears continued their trail down her cheeks.  Ryou came to a stop a mere foot away from her, his own tears spilling over his eyes and down his face.  

"Please…God, no…"  

The small smile remained on her face.  

This is what you wanted, big brother…

With that, she leapt off the balcony, disappearing over the side.  Ryou couldn't even hear the thud of her body hitting the ground, it was so high up.  

"Amane…" he whimpered, hot tears spilling down his cheeks.  

"AMANE!!!!!!!!!"  He ran over to the edge and peered down, although he knew it was futile.  He couldn't even see the ground.  He sobbed.  She was dead…and it was his entire fault.  Again.  Before he could think twice about it, he too climbed up onto the balcony and looked at the ground, too far away for him to see anything.  A tear trickled down his cheek, and he took a deep breath, preparing to jump.  He moved his first foot so that it was dangling, and was about to jump when a voice interrupted him.  

"RYOU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"  Then arms wrapped around his waist and tugged him down.  

"Stop! LET GO OF ME, GODDAMNIT!  I HAVE TO FIND HER!!!"  He was forced to turn around and meet two lavender eyes, which were shining with fear and relief.  

"Find who?"  

"Her…OH MY GOD, I FUCKING KILLED HER!"  He was sobbing again, and trying to scramble out of Malik's grip so he could jump off the balcony.  

"Ryou, SNAP OUT OF IT!"  He was stuck hard across the face.  

"I-I…killed her…"  

"What are you talking about, Ryou?  Killed who?"  

"Amane…my sister.  I saw her and thought she was dead, then she told me…she wasn't.  But-but…I-I didn't believe her…she said she hated me.  Then she…she…God, SHE JUMPED!  And now she's dead!  OH MY GOD, I'VE KILLED MY ONLY SISTER!"   His shoulders were shaking violently as he sobbed.  

"Ryou…listen to me!  You didn't kill her!  She was already dead, damn it!  It wasn't real!"  

But the horrified teen wouldn't listen.  He only sank to the wet stone ground; still crying like his life depended on it.  Malik sank with him, holding him tightly, telling him that it wasn't real.  

"Ssshh…Ryou, please, you have to calm down.  It wasn't real.  Amane's been dead," Malik whispered in his ear as he rocked him.  Ryou sobbed and clung to his shirt, clenching the material in his fists.  

"Are you sure?"   

"Yes, she was never here to begin with."  

"But…she was so real.  I-I could see her.  She-she looked so solid." 

"I know…but it was all fake.  It was a trick to get you to kill yourself."  

"A-a trick?"  

"Yeah…the same thing happened to me."  Ryou looked down at his wrists, to see a cut on one.  

"Malik?"  

"I know.  It's going to be okay."  He smoothed away the strands of soaking wet white hair that were clinging to Ryou's face and kissed his forehead. 

"We'll go look for the others and get the hell out of here.  I won't let anything else hurt you," he whispered.

"Do you promise?"  Malik leaned in and kissed him.  

"I promise.  I'll die before I let you get hurt again."    

BlackRose:  -.- Ugh…these chapters are SO freakin' short.  I'm not keeping either of my promises, am I?  

Bakura:  Nope.  You lied when you said that the updates would be sooner, and when you said the chapters would be longer.  Stupid thing to say if you didn't intend to actually carry it out.  

BlackRose: Don't remind me.  *thinks*  Hey, he isn't pissed off about what I did to Ryou.  

Bakura:  Oh and WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT TO MY HIKARI!  YOU MADE HIM MISERABLE!  

BlackRose: O.O  Crap.  Thought too soon.  *runs as Bakura chases her with a flamethrower*  Okie guys, REVIEW PLEASE!  *keeps on running as Bakura yells "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!"*                                  

        


	14. Familiar Fiends The Game Is Drawing To A...

BlackRose: Wow…this is longer than I thought it would be.  It's beginning to come to a close though.  Not that many chapters left.  How many, I cannot say, exactly.  Anyways-

Bakura: -.- Just get on with the damn chapter.  

BlackRose:  -.-  Rude.  I'm getting t-

Bakura: Malik?  

Malik: On with the chappie!  

+_blah+   =_Bakura to Yami

_//blah//_    =Yami to Bakura 

 Duke pressed a hand to his stomach gingerly. 

"I think the bleeding finally stopped."  

"It's about time."  It seemed that Duke was leaning more and more on Kaiba as they walked; Yami's pace a steady monotone.  Duke looked at the former pharaoh uneasily, wincing as he saw how empty Yami's eyes looked.  

_I can't even imagine what he's feeling right now.  If Yugi is really…gone…I wonder what'll happen to Yami.  _  

"Needless to say, we'll have to get you to a hospital once we get out of here."  Kaiba tugged Duke out of his thoughts.  

"I don't need to go to the hospital!"  

"Devlin, you have a freakin' hole in your stomach!"  

"I don't care.  If I can manage now, then I'll be able to manage at home!"  

"You need medical attention!"  

"I do not!"  

"Yes you do!"  

"Do not!"  

"Do t-no…I am NOT going to stoop to that level of immaturity.  You're going and that's final."  

"You can't make me."  

"Stop being so childish. You can barely stand!"  

"But I'm standing." 

"I'm taking you there as soon as we can get the hell out of here."  

"No your not.  Because I'm going straight home after this."  

"If you don't pass out first.  What do you have against hospitals, anyways?"  

"I just don't like them, okay?!"  

"Calm down.  It was just a question."   There was silence for a few moments until Duke spoke up again, shivering slightly. 

"Why is it so cold in here?"  

"Perhaps the Players are trying to kill us from hypothermia."  

"Players?"  

"Never mind."  

"I just remembered something.  Where the hell's Mokuba?"  

"He went to a friends house instead of coming to the reception.  Thank God for that."  The relief was very evident in his voice.  

"Something's coming."  Duke and Kaiba looked at Yami, worried from the monotone of his voice.  Duke opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again as he received a look from Kaiba.  There was no need to speak, as all three heard feet dragging across the carpeted floor.  Several pairs of feet.  There was a flash of lightning from one of the windows, lighting up the room momentarily, giving the occupants full view of the feet's owners.  Three people were slowly walking towards them, the figures all too familiar.  One was short with tri-colored hair, a dagger sticking up from his back, his face horribly contorted with anger.  Another, taller than the first, with unruly blonde hair and brown eyes, head cocked to the side in an unnatural angle.  His face too was filled with rage.  The third familiar figure a female with short brown hair and blue eyes, her entrails crawling out of her stomach, wiggling like so many worms.  Clumps of damp earth clung to her figure.  Yami let out a strangled cry.  

"Yugi…"  He began to walk towards him, but was stopped as Kaiba caught his arm.  

"That's not Yugi, Yami."  

"It is him, can't you see?!"  

"Yami, it's just a trick!  Now come on!"  

Yami dug in his heels, refusing to be moved.  

"It's him!  I have to go to him!  Let me go!"  

"Yami, it's not him!  Yugi is DEAD!"  He tugged again, but it was no use.  Yami wouldn't be pulled away.   He pulled sharply, out of Kaiba's grasp, frantic to get to his hikari.   

"Fine then, you want proof?  WELL HERE'S YOUR GODDAMN PROOF!"  Kaiba pulled out the small silver gun and took aim, pulling the trigger once, sending a bullet into Yugi's head.  It exploded in a shower of gore, raining down on the six of them.  The body didn't fall, however, just continued to walk, oblivious to the fact that its head had been blown into fragments. Yami stood stock still, his eyes wide.  

"Yami, COME ON!  WE HAVE TO GO!" It was Duke this time that tugged Yami away with his free arm.  The three started running from their undead friends.  Kaiba stopped and turned abruptly.  

"Sorry mutt," he whispered before taking aim and shooting him in the legs, taking off again as Joey's body fell.  He took off again, after Duke and Yami, who was having one helluva time trying to help Duke move as fast as he could.  Kaiba sighed and scooped Duke up in his arms.  Yami was at his side as they raced down the hall.  

"Door…where the hell's a door…" Yami muttered.  They turned a corner, Yami in the lead, which wasn't exactly beneficial as he crashed into something.  Or someone, to be more precise. 

"Shit, would you watch where your going?!" a sharp voice snapped.  Kaiba blinked.  

"Bakura?"  

"No…it's the Tooth Fairy.  Who the hell else would it be?"  Kaiba scowled and set Duke back down carefully.  Tristan opened his mouth to question that, when he noticed the large bloodstain on the coat wrapped around Duke's torso.  

"Duke, you okay man?"  

"I'll live.  Where the hell did you two come from?"  

"Well, we were walking when the pointy things on Bakura's ring started pointing straight, so we followed it's direction and bumped into you guys.  It must have been because of the puzzle." 

"Well no shit Sherlock," Bakura snapped.  Something was up.  Yami hadn't spoken a word yet.  

"Something the matter Pharaoh?"  Yami looked up at him.  Bakura's eyes widened.  Yami's eyes looked so…haunted.  It wasn't like the Pharaoh to get this scared.  It must have been something else.  The first thing that came to mind was Yugi.  Bakura used the piece of the Puzzle he had tainted to mentally ask, 

+_Something happened to Yugi, didn't it?+   _Yami's eyes widened.

_//How did you know?//_

_+It's evident in your eyes.  Did he…+_

_//Yes.//  _

 Bakura inwardly grimaced.  He may have disliked Yami, but the feeling of having half of your soul ripped away from you was never pleasant.  He should know.  He was brought back from his thoughts as Tristan's hand waved in from of his face.  

"Hello?  Is anyone home?"  

"What?!"  he snapped. 

"I just wanted to know if you were okay.  Your eyes started to get all freaky." 

"I'm fine," he growled.  

"Okay, sheesh, I was just asking."   

"Shit, c'mon, we gotta run," Kaiba said suddenly.  He scooped Duke up again.  

"Er…hey, wait!  What are we running from?" Tristan asked.  Bakura tapped his shoulder and pointed.  

"Them."  The three zombie versions of their friends had finally caught up with them.  

"Joey!"  

"Don't stop running, fool!  That's not him!"  Bakura gave Tristan a hard shove to keep him running.  

"Kaiba, there's a door that leads to the dining room up here!  Follow me!" he panted, running up ahead of the CEO.  He stopped at a large oak door and tugged the handle, throwing the door open.  The other four ran in, Tristan slamming the door shut behind him.  There was silence as the five of them struggled to catch their breath.  Duke's head snapped up suddenly.  

"What about the others?"  

"Well, needless to say, Joey and Yugi are dead.  I'm not sure about the other two," Tristan answered.  

"Ryou's still alive.  I would have felt it if he died."  

"Thank God," Duke breathed.  

"We have to find a way out of here," Kaiba said.  

"Yeah, after we find Ryou and Malik."  

"What would the point be in looking for either of them?  We can look at dawn.  Hopefully the house will be back to normal then."  

"WHAT?!" Bakura and Duke cried out in unison. 

"We can't leave them to fend for themselves until dawn!!"

"NO FUCKING WAY IN BLOODY HELL AM I LEAVING WITHOUT MY HIKARI!!" 

"We don't have a choice!  If you haven't noticed, everything in here keeps changing!  And I don't know if you've noticed, but there are _things _out there that are trying to freakin' kill us!"  

"Which is why we look now, then get the hell out once we find them!"  Duke protested. 

"I'm not going to spend the rest of the night in this madhouse!"  Bakura's eyes darkened.  He picked Kaiba up by his collar and thrust him against the wall.  

"You may not give a shit about anyone else here, and that's fine with me, but you will NOT tell ME to LEAVE MY HIKARI HERE TO DIE!"   Kaiba's eyes narrowed.  

"Do NOT speak to me like that, tomb robber." 

"I will speak to you however the hell I damn well please!  Now, we aren't leaving until we find my hikari and Malik, do you understand? Or shall I repeat it in Egyptian for you?"  

Kaiba felt something snap inside him.  He brought his fist back quite suddenly and punched Bakura in the jaw.  The surprised spirit dropped him and held his jaw.  

"Oh, you will pay for that, you little bastard!"  Just as he was about to act, hands clasped onto his arms and held him back.  

"Don't do it, tomb robber.  We don't need anymore deaths."  

"I swear to Ra, I'll fucking do it.  I'll send his arrogant ass to the Shadow Realm!"  

"Don't!  We need as many people alive as we can get!  Calm down and think, for once!  Think about Ryou!  We still need to keep one hikari alive, at least."  Yami said the last part in a whisper, his violet eyes watering slightly, making Bakura feel incredibly uncomfortable.  He sighed.  

"Fine.  But one more stunt like that, and even you won't be able to stop me."  Yami gave him a small smile.  

"Thank you.  Now, why don't we go and look for Malik and Ryou?"   

BlackRose: Okie…That chappies done.  Like I said, this fic is coming to a close.  Not many chapters left.  Hm…need to work on the gore factor.  Oh well.  Hopefully, next chapter will have more gore in it.  

Bakura: I hope so.  It needs more bloodshed.  Like I should have punched Kaiba back and broken his neck.  

BlackRose:  -.-  Yeah, then I'd have _my _neck broken by all of the Kaiba-fans.  Although I am going to be mauled by all of the Yami fans for what happens to him later on.    

Malik:  *grins evilly*  I can't wait for that.  READ AND REVIEW!       


	15. Hidden In the Depths of Blood

BlackRose: Okie, finally got the next chappie.  Sadly, this'll be the last one for a while, as I'm leaving the country August 6th and won't be back until the 31st.  Sorry guys, hopefully this'll be enough until I come back.  Oh, and for time's sake, this chappie is a Malik and Ryou chappie.  Malik?  

Malik: Ahem.  ON WITH THE FUCKING CHAPPIE! 

Bakura:  O.O  Ow…my ears.  DON'T DO THAT WHEN I'M STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, ASSHOLE!  

Ryou was clinging to Malik's side as if his life depended on it as they crept down the dark hallway, something that Malik quite enjoyed.  The duo was silent as they walked, eyes peeled and ears open for anything out of the ordinary, such as that smell that was beginning to seep out into the corridor.  A sickenly sweet smell, like that of putting a tad too much sugar on baking cinnamon bread.  

"Where's that smell coming from?" Ryou whispered, his fingers entwined with Malik's.  Malik shrugged.  

"I have no idea.  But I'd like to find out.  Let's see if we can follow it."  Ryou wasn't exactly fond of the idea of trying to find the cause for the syrupy odor, but he didn't want to be left alone again.  

"All right."  They had only been followed it for a few moments until they came up to a door.  The aroma became so strong that it made Ryou's eyes water.  Malik ignored the sudden strength of the smell and opened the silver door, his eyes missing the strange symbol carved into the metal.  He walked in, making sure to keep Ryou behind him in case something was waiting to ambush them.  His words were true when he had promised he'd die before letting Ryou get hurt again.  The room was dark, which wasn't a surprise to either as they walked further inside.  

"You want to keep going?" Malik whispered.  

Ryou opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted as the door they had just entered through swung shut, a loud _bang _reverberating throughout the apparently cavernous room.  

"Well, we have no choice now," he answered back.  His voice was unwavering, although the trembling of his body betrayed his fear.  Malik took the other teen in his arms, holding him as tightly as he comfortably could.  

"I promise we're going to get out of here alive.  I won't have it any other way," he said.  Ryou couldn't help but give a small giggle.  Those words sounded so…comforting, for some reason.  

The two teens resumed walking, Malik careful to keep Ryou as close to him as possible.  Ryou suddenly became all too aware that his dress shoes had begun to make squishing sounds every time he put his foot down.  

"Malik…"  

"What?"  

"Um…why are our-" He was immediately cut off as the two teens were plunged down into a large body of water.  Malik opened his eyes as he felt Ryou's hand slip out of his grasp, to find to his horror that the water was dark red.  And thicker that water should be.  The Egyptian struggled to get back to the surface as realization from his previous thought hit.  It wasn't water.  It was blood!  His head broke through the surface.  He was gasping for air, crimson liquid running down his face in morbid rivulets.  

"RYOU!" He shouted, searching frantically for his white-haired friend.  Swimming through the blood, he continued calling.  His mouth was open as something wrapped around his ankle and pulled him down into the garnet depths.  He took in swallows of the metallic liquid, gagging as he tried to get air.  The thing on his ankle tightened.  Lungs burning for oxygen, he kicked frantically.  Bony fingers clawed at his ankle, trying to pull him down.  He kicked a final time and felt the hand release it's grip.  He tried to scramble back to the surface, dots swimming before his lavender eyes.  

 _I have to get to the surface.  I have to make sure Ryou's safe.     _

A living corpse wound its hand around his ankle again, tugging him down into the depths of the blood, a sinister grin stretched across it's face, chunks of rotten flesh tearing off and floating away as it did so.  Bubbles of air streamed out of Malik's mouth as he struggled; only to have several other corpses latch onto him, dragging him down, all in various states of decay.  

_No!  I won't let you have me until I know Ryou is safe!_

The Egyptian continued to struggle, his lungs burning, mind growing fuzzy.  

_No!  I won't!  I have to find him!  _

A skeletal hand grabbed his face, another forced his mouth open, causing him to lose what little oxygen he still had.  The bodies continued to gain in number as he fought.  He couldn't breathe.  Everything began to grow dim.  

Can't…Ryou…I hope your okay.  

*~*  

"MALIK!  DAMN IT MALIK, ANSWER ME!"  Ryou was on the verge of hysterics.  He had been treading through the blood for the past five minutes, searching for his Egyptian friend, who had yet to surface.  

_Something happened to him, I know it.  _Without a second thought, the white-haired teen took a deep breath, and then dove down into the blood, his brown eyes wide and open.  He swam hard, arms and legs pumping.  

I have to find him.  Damn it, where are you Malik?  

 His lungs started to burn, something which he ignored as he swam farther down.  Something was floating in the middle.  Or rather, someone.  Ryou almost cried out as he realized it was Malik.  As the white-haired teen swam closer, he realized that Malik was obviously unconscious, not to mention he was tied to something.  A large something.   

An ankh!  Indeed the Egyptian teen was bound to a large ankh, one arm tied to each side, his ankles tied together at the bottom end, also tied to the bottom stick itself.  The platinum blonde framed head hung limply forward, as if trying to get away from the golden loop behind it.  An Egyptian Jesus Christ, minus the thorny crown and the nails.  

Oh my God! 

Ryou swam as fast as he could towards Malik in a panic, praying he hadn't come too late. He tried to undo the bonds, his lungs burning, and vision dimming.  

No time to go up for air.  It's him or me.  And I'm not going to leave him here to die.  

Thin fingers fumbled at the knots, frantic to undo them.  It seemed like ages before Malik was finally free.  Ryou pulled a tan arm over his own shoulders and swam upwards, slower now that he had a body to bring up.  Ryou felt his vision dimming, but kept kicking frantically, lungs now screaming for the oxygen they had been deprived of for five minutes.  Finally he broke through the surface, splashing scarlet liquid into the air.  He was gasping for breath as he continued to swim, frantically looking for the floor.  It may have already been too late…

No…he's not dead.  I refuse to believe it.  

Suddenly, he felt bony fingers claw at his calf, crying out in both pain and surprise as he looked into the water to see a corpse grinning back at him, flesh dangling from it's left cheek.  The flesh had long since rotted away on the right side, showing off pink tinted bone. 

"Let go!" Ryou shouted, kicking the thing in the head with his free leg.  The body disconnected with the arm from that move, the fingers still digging into tender flesh.  Pain shot up Ryou's leg in sharp pinpricks, but the white-haired male continued to swim as fast as he could, in hopes he was swimming in the direction of the solid ground.  Thankfully, he had been, as his arm slammed painfully into the floor.  He disregarded it and set Malik onto the blood-soaked carpet, ignoring the stomach turning squelch that greeted the weight.  Ryou pulled himself up and kneeled down next to Malik, thankful to his deceased mother for signing him up for those first aid lessons before her death.  He proceeded to push oxygen into the Egyptian's mouth repeatedly, his hope slowly diminishing as he continued to receive no response.  That is, until blood began to spurt out of Malik's mouth after five minutes of it.  Malik gasped for breath, blood that wasn't his spurted out of his mouth.  Ryou cried out in relief and tackle hugged his Egyptian friend.  

"Ryou…you know I love you and everything…but…I can't breathe!" Malik choked.   The said white-haired male blushed and pulled away, allowing the dark skinned teen the much-needed oxygen.  It was a few moments until Malik caught his breath finally and looked at Ryou as he stood up.  The Egyptian opened his mouth to say something, only to have Ryou interrupt him by extending a hand.  Once they were both standing, Malik opened his mouth to speak again, only to be stopped as Ryou suddenly hugged him, pressing his blood drenched face into the Egyptian's chest.  

"God, I thought you might have died!  I was so afraid I had lost you!" he mumbled, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks, leaving behind trails that shone through bloodstained cheeks.  Malik half smiled and wrapped an arm around him, his other stroking the once white now pinkish red hair.  

"I'm right here, Ry.  I'm not going anywhere.  Now let's get the hell out of here."  

Only as they tried the door handle did they remember they were locked in.  The two voiced their thoughts at the same time.  

"Shit."  

BlackRose:  Okie, that's it for this chapter.  T-

Bakura:  Liar.  

BlackRose:  ^.^ Just kidding.  The chapter ain't over yet.  *glares at Bakura* I had them going for a minute there.  

Bakura: -.- Just shut up and let them keep reading.  

BlackRose:  Ass. *walks off to see what Malik's doing*  

*~*  

"Bakura, would you just slow down?"  Tristan protested as he and the other three chased after the tomb robber, who was running wherever the hell his Ring was taking him to.  The other four had disappeared completely as Bakura skidded to a stop at a silver door. That was when a stomach turning odor hit his nose, causing him to make a face.  Experienced eyes trailed over the symbol etched into the metal.  

Ancient Egyptian for Walking Dead?   What the…

Impatience and curiosity caused him to take hold of the handle.  He was about to turn it as the other four, all panting, came into view, Yami in the lead.  The former pharaoh approached him, Kaiba, who was carrying Duke, to his right.  Bakura cocked a brow.  

Well, doesn't that seem familiar?  And Kaiba says he has no memories of Egypt.  

"Well, do you plan on opening the door sometime this century?" Kaiba snapped.  Bakura made an obscene gesture with his hand, and then turned the handle.  He didn't realize Tristan was right behind him until he felt hot breath brush past his face.  Bakura stepped inside first, a frown etched on his features.  

"Do you…smell that?"  

"Smell what?" Duke asked.  

"Blood."

It was Duke's turn to make a face.  

"It's a lot of i-" He was interrupted as a familiar voice cried out, 

"Bakura?"  

"Ryou?  Where are you? I can't see a damn thing!"  

"I'm right here."   The Ring decided it would help it's prisoner find his other half just then, glowing brightly enough to reveal to him his hikari's location.  Ryou whirled around and looked straight into Bakura's eyes.  

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" the said yami cried out as he saw his hikari covered in blood.  

"I'm fine Yami.  It's not mine."  Then he indicated to a large pool behind him.  But, from what the Rings light showed, it was red.  Dark red.  Like…

"Blood…" Tristan gasped.  Relief flooded over the white-haired yami, and, before he even thought about it, swept his hikari into a tight hug, resting his cheek on bloodstained hair.  

"Thank Ra your alright.  I knew you were still alive, I would have felt it if you weren't.  But that didn't mean you had to be healthy…" Bakura was so relieved to find his hikari unharmed that he didn't realize he was rambling.  Ryou, to say the least, was surprised at his yami's sudden relief.   From all of the shit that Bakura had done to him in the past, he was under the impression that his yami only just barely tolerated him.  He wasn't the only one shocked, though.  The rest of the small group's faces ranged from eyes wide, to a surprised O.  Bakura was still holding Ryou as Duke asked,  

"Hey, where's Malik?"  

"Right here."  Yami started slightly, as he didn't realize the said Egyptian was standing right next to him until he spoke.  

"I take it you both went for a refreshing swim?" Duke asked sarcastically as he saw that Malik's appearance matched Ryou's.  

"Oh yeah, being attacked by a bunch of skeletons then being tied to an ankh is really refreshing," Malik answered with the same amount.  

"Now that we have your precious hikari back, Bakura, can we get the hell out of here?" Kaiba snapped.  

"Oh, leaving so soon?" The entire group turned to look at the figure that was rising from the blood, a triumphant smirk on their face.  

BlackRose:  ^.^  Okie, now the chapter is over.  Hm…only two chapter left, if you count the epilogue. Well, there's no point in making you guys all wait almost all month just to read the last two chapters, so maybe I'll try to get in the last two before I leave.  But it's just a maybe.  If not, then you'll have to wait until the end of August.  Hopefully not. 

Bakura: O.O  Only two chapter left?  . Damn it!  

BlackRose: ^.^  I knew you liked this fic.  

Bakura:  I do not!  

Malik:  That's not what you were saying earlier, 'Kura.  

Bakura:  . Damn it, I DON'T!   

BlackRose + Malik:  LIAR!  

BlackRose:  Well, since this is going to take awhile, before we get to into it…Malik?  

Malik:  REVIEW PLEASE! *argument resumes  * 


	16. Unexpected Sacrifices

BlackRose: Just one thing to say.  

+_blah+ = _Bakura to Yami

_//blah// _= Yami to Bakura 

"Oh, leaving so soon?" The entire group turned back to look at the woman that was rising from the blood, a triumphant smirk on her face.  Duke looked over as the door slammed shut and locked.  Bakura let go of Ryou and pushed him behind himself, daring to glance at Yami.  The former pharaoh looked at him at the exact moment.  

_+It seems we've come to the end.+  _

_//Yes, it does.  But we haven't won yet.//  _

_+I know.  I hope you understand what might happen, should we lose.+  _

_//I do.  But I'm willing to die.  Are you, tomb robber?//_

_+Hell yeah.+ _With that, Bakura gave him a smirk, ending the conversation.  

"Yes, actually, we were just about to.  Now, if you could just fuck off, we'll be on our merry way," Kaiba was saying.  

"Too bad.  You're not going to leave this room alive.  My Players will see to that."        

At that, the woman simply waved her hand.  Up rose three more figures; figures that the small group had come to recognize all too well.  Bakura felt a growl rise in his throat, as he looked at Mage, an old friend from a civilization long dead.   

_//We have to get the others out of here.//  _

_+I know.  But how?+  _

"Yeah, well tough shit lady…like it or not, we're getting the hell out of here," Tristan was saying.  The woman laughed, throwing her head back, long green hair billowing out behind her like a second cloak.  

"I beg to differ, child.  This shall be your final resting place."  

_//Obviously, distraction is the best.  But how will we get all fours attention?//_

_+Just watch and see, Pharaoh.+ _

"I have a better idea.  They leave…we stay.  After all, what's the fun in torturing mortals when they can die so easily?" Bakura said.  

"WHAT?!" Ryou cried, "Yami, no!"  

_+Silence, hikari.+  _

"Yes," Yami agreed, "There wouldn't be any point.  As soon as it gets entertaining, they die."  

"Hm…yes, that would make the most sense.  Fine, let the humans go.  The spirits stay."  With that, the metal door swung open again, granting freedom to the humans.  

"No!  I'm not leaving without you, Yami!" Ryou cried.  

"Me either.  If you stay, we all stay," Malik added.  

"Yeah.  We're not going to just leave you both here to die," Tristan said.  

"Well, if they're staying, I am, too," Duke said.  

"Same here."  

"No!  None of you are staying.  You're all too fragile.  Only Bakura and I can stay.  We know what we're doing.  Now go."  

"But-"  

"Damn it Ryou, do as he says!  Leave now!"  

"No.  We're staying.  You can't force us to leave," Kaiba put in stubbornly.  

_+They're not listening.  We'll have to use force.+  _

_//Sadly, yes.//_

"We can and will make you leave, Kaiba.  This isn't your fight.  Now, I won't say it again.  All of you…leave.  Now."  

"No."  This time it was Duke. 

"Fine then.  Bakura?"  

"Take care Ryou," was all the former tomb robber said before the Millennium Ring flashed and the group of humans was gone, suddenly finding themselves on the lawn outside.  Yami and Bakura looked at each other a final time and nodded, ready for the final face off.  

*~*  

"Ryou, stop!"  

"No!  I don't care what you say, I'm not going to just leave him there to die!"  Ryou continued to struggle against Kaiba and Malik, who were trying to keep the stricken hikari from running back inside the mansion.  

"Ryou, listen! He's going to be fine, I swear!  Bakura wouldn't let some stupid thing like this kill him!"  

"No! You don't know that!" 

"Ryou, listen to him!  Your yami's going to be fine!" Kaiba could only hope his words would prove true.  

"I can't trust words alone!  I can't just let him die for me!"  

"Ryou, stop!  Just think about it!  Remember, 'Kura's been to the Shadow Realm and back, and that's ten times worse than this!  He'll be fine, you'll see!"  Malik pulled him into a hug and refused to let go, despite Ryou's attempts to pull away.  The white-haired teen continued to struggle as Kaiba watched.  

_How could such a supposed psychotic bastard mean so much to him?  After all he did to him, Ryou still cares.  Why?  _ 

Tristan was wondering the same thing.  He had never seen Ryou like this before.  The boy continued to try to pull away from Malik, still screaming that he had to help his yami.  It made both Tristan and Kaiba think that maybe there was something they could do.  After all, the Millennium spirits were willing to sacrifice themselves just so the others could live.  

_That's it.  I can't leave those two to do everything.  I'm going in,_ both the CEO and the spikey-haired brunette thought at the same time.  Malik was still trying to get Ryou to listen to reason, and Duke had passed out again, not that it wasn't a wonder he hadn't before.    

The CEO walked off first, careful to keep out of Malik's sight, the spikey-haired brunette doing the same.   Kaiba smirked and turned to Tristan as they walked back inside the mansion.  

"So you're going too, huh?"  

"Yep."  

"Maybe not all of Yugi's friends were annoying twits."  Tristan smiled.  That was the closest he would get to a compliment from Kaiba.  

"If Ryou is willing to do it, so am I."  

"You know we're most likely going to die, right?"  

"Yep."  

"Funny.  If someone had told me yesterday I would be willing to die just so that the survivors of Yugi's little group could live, I would have shot them myself."  The unlikely duo made their way down the hall.  

"Kaiba?"  

"Yeah?"  

"Er…do you have any idea how we're gonna find the room again?"  

"Actually, I do."  Tristan blinked.  

"How?"  

"Do you have a cold?"  

"What?"  That was certainly not the answer Tristan had been expecting.  

"I said do you have a cold?"  

"No…why the hell ya asking?"  Kaiba rolled his eyes.  

"You must if you can't smell that.  Does the stench seem familiar?"  

"Oh…"  

"You really are a twit.  A very, very _dense _twit."  

*~* 

"I will say this now, Pharaoh.  This is one game you cannot beat."  

"Yes, but he's not alone, Meyatha.  You forget, he has a very cunning tomb robber to assist him."  

_//Nice to know your modest.//_

_+You should know I possess no such trait.+  _

Bakura shot him another smirk then turned to look back at Meyatha, who was now sitting down in a throne type chair made out of blood.  She waved to the Illusionist and the Banshee, who swooped down from their pedestals of liquid blood and onto the blood soaked ground.  

_//You ready, tomb robber?//_

_+I've been ready.+  _

Banshee let out an ear-piercing wail, diving forward to sink her teeth into Yami's neck, who ducked, the Eye of Horus glowing brightly on his forehead.   The Illusionist approached Bakura silently, the lone eye on his head closed as he chanted a spell.  Bakura smirked; ready to take on whatever it was that he was supposed to see.  Banshee shrieked again, angered at her miss, and dove at the former pharaoh, who made to dodge, but scarcely got out of the way, feeling clawed fingers slice across his cheek.  From all he knew, the Players might have been immune to the Millennium Puzzles magic, something that he'd rather not risk finding out.  Mage stood there calmly on the pedestal right next to his master, an amused expression on his tanned face.  It was then Bakura found out what the Illusionist was going to try to make him witness.  The Illusionist opened his eye to reveal swirling yellow and orange, which were still moving.  Everything started tilting towards Bakura, the entire room appearing as if it were alive.  The floor reared up to greet him, slowly swallowing him up until he was surrounded by darkness.

"Oi, stupid ghost lady, over here!" Bakura looked around, only to observe blackness.  He couldn't see anything.  It sounded like Tristan, but he couldn't see past the illusion.  Apparently though, the Banshee had heard Tristan and left Yami behind, letting out another ear piercing shriek before going after her new target.  Bakura could hear everything, but still only saw Blackness.  

_I can't…see anything.  This isn't real.  This isn't what I'm supposed to be seeing.  _

_BANG!  _

_What the…_

"Need some help there?" Color began to wash over everything and take shape before his eyes.  Bakura tossed his head, shaking away the last Bits of darkness that clung to his vision.  He turned around and saw Kaiba looking at him, a gun in hand.  He looked down and saw the Illusionist lying motionless, it's eye now a hole of mushy gore.  Bakura opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a cry of pain.  The two men turned to look at the cause.  Tristan, who had gotten Banshee away from Yami, was being bitten and clawed at mercilessly, stumbling towards the lake of blood.  

"TRISTAN!" Bakura shouted as the brunette went over the side of the floor, into the crimson abyss.  He had taken Banshee with him.  Yami stood there wide-eyed, unable to say anything coherent.  Now Bakura was seeing red.  After all that trouble of making sure Tristan stayed alive, he had died, just to save someone else. The former tomb robber cast an angry glare at Meyatha.  

"YOU BITCH!"  

Meyatha only cackled loudly.  

"I see you can play better than I had expected.  Just give me a moment to dispose of the worthless."  With that, she waved her hand once again.  Kaiba felt himself being picked up into the air.  Blue eyes widened just before he was thrown into the wall with a sickening _crack_, falling back to the ground motionlessly.  There was a large dent in the wall where his body had made contact with it.   

"KAIBA!" Yami cried.  Meyatha's green lips turned upward in a delighted smirk.  

"I haven't had this much fun in some time.  It's been ages since someone was strong enough to play against _me.  _This should be interesting."  That said she and Mage leapt down onto the blood-soaked carpet, landing silently. 

_+You can have Meyatha.  I have a score to settle.+  _

_//Fine by me.  Just…//_

_+What?+ _

_//Be careful, okay?//  _

_+…Have fun.+  _

_//Wait!  Bakura-//  _

Bakura shut off the link, only pausing to look at Yami a final time, then take off after Mage, leaving Yami with Meyatha. 

Mage chuckled.  

"I hope you know you're fighting a losing battle." 

Bakura bared his canines.    

"Just shut the fuck up."  

"Oh, ouch.  Patience is a virtue, 'Kura."  

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, SCUMBAG!"  

"All right.   How about I call you Yami?"  At the last word, Mage began to change into Ryou.  Bakura, who had been about to tackle Mage to the ground and rip his head off, stopped.  

"Are you going to kill me Yami?"  Bakura's eyes widened.  Ryou had asked him that before, after a rather harsh beating from a very pissed off Bakura.  The way he had looked…his eyes shining with unshed tears, trembling slightly.  That was the last night Bakura ever lifted a hand to him, seeing that if he continued, he may lose control and kill his own hikari.  The whole point of the beatings had been to show Ryou how to become stronger, but that wasn't how it had worked out.  After that night, Yami Bakura swore that he would never raise a hand to harm his hikari ever again.  And now…looking at the spit image of Ryou…he found he couldn't strike Mage.  

"You killed my hikari and most of his friends, you bitch," Yami growled. 

"Such strong words from such a pathetic spirit."  

"Such a pathetic attempt at pissing me off even more than I am already by such a pathetic witch."  

"I'm hurt." Meyatha lifted her hands, blowing Yami into a wall.  He landed on the ground.  Hard.  Allowing himself a few seconds before getting up, he took a deep breath.  He staggered slightly once he got to his feet, then steadied himself, wiping away at the thin trickle of blood coming from his forehead.  

"Whose pathetic now, Pharaoh?"  A smirk spread across Yami's lips.  The Eye of Horus glowed brighter than it had before.  Now would be a good time to see if the Puzzle had any effect on her.  He lifted up a hand, but before the words could leave his mouth, a surge of energy came out of his hand, directed at Meyatha.  She was sent tumbling into the lake of blood, splashing the occupants of the room.  Yami blinked and looked at his hand.  

_That wasn't supposed to happen.  _

Meyatha rose from the depths of the blood, her yellow eyes narrowed in anger.  

"I'm tired of playing with you.  Now…you die."  Yami jumped up, the attack missing him entirely.  He dropped back down, shoes sending small spurts of blood away from his feet.  

"Looks like you missed."  Then he raised his hand again, only to be lifted off of his feet and into the air.  Meyatha cackled again.  

"Now try to attack me, Pharaoh."  

"You can't hit me, can you, Yami?" Mage asked, an uncharacteristic smirk stretched across Ryou's lips.  Bakura stared at him, unblinking.  He couldn't, wouldn't strike Ryou. He said he wouldn't so he wouldn't.  Mage strode over to him, his head held high, yet another uncharacteristic thing for Ryou to do, and sent a hard left hook into Bakura's jaw.  The former tomb robber took it, as well as the one to his gut.  

"How does it feel, Yami?  Now you know what it's like to be abused…every…damn…day."  Mage accented each of the last four words with a sharp kick.    Blood dribbled down Bakura's face, a thin trail streaming down from the corner of his lip, yet he still refused to hit back.  That is until Mage did something completely out of character for Ryou.  He laughed, sounding far too much like Bakura for it to still seem like his other half.  

_Wait…it's not Ryou.  It's Mage.  _

This thought repeating itself over and over in his mind, the former tomb robber finally stood, his face full of fury.  

"HOW DARE YOU PRETEND TO BE MY HIKARI!"  He was so close to Mage that his hot breath hit the Player straight in the face.  Bakura smirked and brought his fist back, sending a punch so hard that Mage fell back.  He punched and punched and punched, as he had once done to Ryou, only with as much force as he possibly could.  

"How does it feel Mage? Oh, I don't know.  WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME?!" Bakura, in his fury, put his hands on Mage's head and gave it a sharp twist.  Perhaps the twist was a tad too strong, as Mage's body fell, but his head remained in Bakura hands.  Skin and tissue clung to the bottom of where Mage's neck used to be connected to his body.   Bakura remained standing there, the head still in his hands, blood dripping down onto the already soaked carpet.  It streamed down his fingers in thin rivulets.   The sadistic smirk remained on the former tomb robber's lips, his brown eyes still having that psychotic gleam in his eye.  

He was pulled out of his victorious trance as he heard Yami choking.  He looked up and saw the former Pharaoh dangling in the air.  Mage's head dropped to the floor, rolling over into the pool of blood with a small _splash_.  Bakura licked his hands clean of the crimson liquid.  Meyatha hadn't seen her most prized Player have his head ripped off, which was quite lucky for Bakura.  He took a running start and tackled Meyatha to the ground, causing her to let go of Yami, who plummeted down to the ground, landing on his feet with such grace that reminded Bakura briefly of a cat.  Bakura was shoved several feet away, landing on his head.  He got and shook the dizziness off walking over so that he stood next to Yami.  Meyatha stood up as well, her face contorted with rage.  

"HOW DARE YOU!  I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"   

Bakura and Yami made eye contact and nodded to each other as Meyatha raised her hands to force them into tiny pieces.  Yami lifted his, and, before Meyatha could attack, forced her back down again.  At this, Yami and Bakura pressed close together, Bakura's right cheek against Yami's left, bodies close.  Bakura raised his left hand as Yami lifted his right and brought them together.  Bakura smirked again, revealing sharp canines stained with Mage's blood.  

"You fucked with the wrong spirits, lady," he growled.    A final look between the two spirits, then they shouted in unison, 

"OBLITERATE!!" Little did they know that Meyatha used her power a split second before.  The surge of power caused debris to fall from the ceiling as the mansion began to collapse upon itself.  Meyatha gave a cackle and shot out her hand, pure power rushing towards Yami, which he just barely dodged, only to find that it wasn't meant for him, but for the large splint of wood just behind him.  The wood soared into the air and straight through Yami's abdomen.  Meyatha gave a final laugh, and then she was gone.  Yami let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground, blood flowing out of his mouth.  

"YAMI!" Bakura pulled out the bloodied piece of wood and picked up the fallen pharaoh. 

"Don't…bother," Yami breathed.  

"I will bother.  You are NOT going to die on me now.  Not after living through the night.  I won't let you, Pharaoh."  He picked up Kaiba as well.  Then there would at least be one body for the funerals.  It was a race against the once grand mansion.  Bakura ran as fast as he could, ignoring the heaviness of having to carry to additional passengers.  He was NOT going to end up getting killed now.  No, not after all he had been through.  He owed Ryou that much, anyways.  He ran out the front door just as the roof fell, tearing across the lawn.  He let Kaiba body fall limply to the ground, taking much more care as he set the former pharaoh down.  Yami smiled.  

"Who would have thought there'd be a day where we worked together, huh?"  

"Shut up.  Don't waste your energy."  

"I'm sorry tomb robber, really I am.  But…I can't…"  

"Oh no you don't.  Don't you dare!  Stay with me Yami!  Don't fade out now!"  

But it was already too late, as Yami's legs and arms were slowly beginning to fade. 

"It was bound to happen anyways, Bakura.  My hikari is dead."  

"Then we'll get you a new host!  Damn it Yami, don't!"  

"I'm just happy I got to see you doing something so courageous.   Goodbye, tomb robber." Then the fallen Pharaoh was gone.   The Millennium Puzzle clattered to the dusty ground with a dull _thud.  _Bakura simply stared at the spot Yami had just been occupying.  

_He's really gone, isn't he?  _

He was still staring at the spot as Ryou, Malik, and a now conscious Duke came over to him.  He was surprised to see that Kaiba was not dead, as he and Yami had first thought.   Although heavily injured, he was still alive.  The surviving group remained silent for some time, until Malik knelt down next to Bakura and picked up the Millennium Puzzle and handed it to him. 

"Looks like you finally got the Puzzle," he said quietly.  Bakura continued to stare at it in his hands, shaking his head slightly.  

"This wasn't how I wanted to obtain it," he whispered, "This wasn't how I wanted to obtain it at all."  

"Where did he go?" Duke asked.  At this, Bakura placed the chain that held the Puzzle over his head, so that the metal clanged against the Ring.  He stood and looked up at the pinkening sky.   

"He went home to be with his hikari."   The former tomb robber began to walk away.   The other four exchanged glances.  Bakura stopped and turned around.  

"Well, are you all coming, or would you like to stand there all day like a bunch of asses?"  That got them going.  The five survivors of the Game of Death walked away from the remnants of what used to be Kaiba's mansion.  They had survived, but oh, what a price they had paid.  

BlackRose:  Never fear, there is an epilogue here.  Not that I don't mind the reviews, eheheheheh.     

  He            

              

  

        


	17. Epilogue

BlackRose:  Now _this _is the last chapter.  

Bakura stood in front of the grave of his former enemy, donned in a black suit once again.  It had been a long funeral.  After all, not only was it for the Pharaoh himself, but Yugi, Joey, and Tristan.  The former tomb robber knelt down and placed a single white rose over the freshly dug dirt, the Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Ring clanging together from the movement.  The sky above him was a beautiful blue, something that didn't bother him that much.  

"Bakura, are you ready?" his soft-spoken hikari asked.  Bakura stood up and nodded, casting one last look at the grave of the fallen pharaoh.  

"Goodbye, Yami."  With that, he walked away, his eyes dry.  It wasn't proper to cry at such an occasion.  After all, Yami finally got the peace he had been longing for after 5,000 years.  Duke, Kaiba, Malik, and Ryou watched him uneasily as the fivesome walked towards Kaiba's limo.  The ride was silent, as every one was lost in their own thoughts.  It had been two weeks since that night…that once night in hell.  Kaiba had gotten a new mansion with no problem, something to which he was thankful for.      Although no one really wanted to go there.   It was to Ryou and Bakura's house they were going to, the closest to the cemetery.  It was as they entered the house that a cat's meow broke the comfortable silence.  Bakura half smiled and picked up the black and white cat, causing it to erupt with purrs.  

"Well Pharaoh, I take it you missed us," he said.  The cat meowed in response.  

No one else said a word until every one was seated comfortably.  

"Well," Duke asked, his hand resting on his bandaged abdomen, "What should we do now?"  He was sitting particularly close to Seto, who had taken his other hand.  

"I'm not really sure.  Not a snowball's chance in hell we're just going to forget it ever happened, that's for certain, though." Malik answered.  He too was sitting close to his koi, which was obviously Ryou.   

"There is not much we _can _do, actually, except go on with our lives.  The others are dead and that's that.  What more is there to say?" Bakura said.  The other four blinked at his statement, although no one said anything.  Silence pierced the air for a few more moments until Seto asked, 

"Do you really think it's over?"  Bakura smiled wryly at this.  

"Well, Yami and I blew that bitch to pieces.  You tell me."  For some reason, Ryou started to laugh.  It was contagious as    Duke too began to crack up.  Soon, the room was filled with laughter, as if the idea had just hit that their one night in hell would stay just that.  One night full of loss.  And when the dawn came, it was safe to pick up the broken pieces and remember those who had perished.  They shall forever more live on in our hearts.  

+_No matter how many more millennia's I live, I will never forget him.   For I carry a piece of him with me always.  I need no Item to make his memory live on.  I will always remember him in my heart.+_

_                                                                                        -Yami Bakura   _  

                                                            THE END

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